Shattered Glass
by TheWolfLover17
Summary: Draco is on the run, in his solitude he begins to change. Hermione get's separated from Ron and Harry and finds herself without a wand. Circumstances bring them together, will anything grow from their union? Nothing is certain.
1. On the run

Chapter One: On the run

(Author's note I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters.)

_At first, it was scary, she fought and screamed like a child for her mother. Then as she realized exactly what was happening to her, it wasn't so bad. Aside from the salt water burning her lungs and eyes and the feeling of suffocation, the feeling was quite nice, she was losing feeling and was no longer cold, it felt as if she were being wrapped in a warm blanket. Slowly, so slowly, her body rocked with the waves, moving as one with nature, and slowly the world began to disappear, in funny shapes and drowned out voices that sounded fuzzy, it was comforting in a strange way. For that she was grateful, Outside of her watery tomb the world wasn't quite so peaceful. War, the worst thing a man could do to another, was raging, just feet above her head, or was it miles now? In any case, Hermione was dying, and so far it wasn't nearly what she had expected. It was pleasant, almost like falling into a slumber, one she knew she would never wake from._

_After thirty seconds she exhaled, and watched lazily as the bubbles floated away from her, up they went like little hot air balloons without the baskets. Just as the first minute passed, she began to think about how she, herself had ended up in such a situation, and what would happen when she was gone. Who would miss her? Who would weep over the loss of one such as herself? Who would have thought that Hermione of all people, would be reduced to this manor of end? Smartest which to attend Hogwarts indeed. It took two minutes for Hermione to start feeling nostalgic about her life and how she managed to end up in her present situation, and her very short, but very full life. After three, things began to go dark. Oddly enough however, she found herself sort of laughing inwardly; of course she had heard stories about the stereo-typical life and death situations, but never in her life did she actually expect to see all of her life flash before her._

_As she watched her life go by, things started to feel real again, like she was re-experiencing it all. Hermione remembered her first Christmas, and how her parents had gotten her books, and a few items of clothes. She remembered how she disliked those books at first because all she wanted was Polly pocket. Oh how funny it would be that all she would ever ask for from that year on for every Holiday, would be books, books, and more books. Hermione remembered the day she got her letter from Hogwarts, how proud her parents had been, but also how confused, and uncertain they were. She remembered the first time she would meet Ronald Weasley, and Harry Potter, and how from that day on her life could never be considered normal. Oh how she missed those days. Mountain trolls and hippogriphs. Then things began to speed up, she flew through her second, third fourth and fifth years of Hogwarts; then came to a bit of a stammering halt halfway through her sixth year, when things started to change, and life as Hermione came to know it would never return to the way it was. As she was remembering reliving and rethinking, there was a sudden pain in her heart then things began to go fuzzy, and she began to get very tired. Over head there was screaming, "HERMIONE! HERMIONE WHERE ARE YOU?" She smiled. 'Time to go.' she thought. Then there was nothing._

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* * *

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It was about three months ago that he had to run. Over the past year his father began to become more and more deranged. Somewhere he hoped and in the English country side, somewhere the golden trio were alive and making progress. They were his only hope for survival now. The past year to say the least had been very... hectic for him. His opinions and life had changed so drastically that he hardly even realized he was himself anymore. Had he seen himself six months ago he would have been struck speechless; gone were his expensive clothes, gone was his meticulously kept hair, and gone was the smug smirk that usually inhabited his perfect pointed features. He was dirty, unkempt and scared. Draco was nowhere near the man he used to be, if he could even be called a man.

It was four months ago when his mother quietly came into his room, silently sobbing. It had been happening from what he could gather, all of his life; Narcissa, Draco's mother was breaking under Lucius, his father's insanity. She supported her husband whole heartedly at first, then as his plans grew more and more dangerous her faith began to falter. Then his plans worked, and The Dark Lord made his triumphant return. Narcissa never knew all the details, but she once again supported him. Until just the year previous, when Lucius agreed to have their son be the one to kill Dumbledore. It was then that his mother decided that his lust for power had gone too far. She managed to save Draco, because of an unbreakable vow that she somehow got Severus Snape to agree to.

Draco did not know what to do when his mother came into his room at three o'clock in the morning. He was going to be cross with his mother, until he saw the tears on her pale cheeks. No matter how bad things were his mother never allowed him to see her cry. Her hair was a mess and she looked like she had not slept in a few days. She spoke in whispers as she told him her plan of escaping his father. None of it made any sense. Draco was, puzzled at first, angry even; after some explaining he understood why his mother wanted him to escape. Voldemort, as expected saw everyone as an expendable resource. Draco was next on the line to be used. He was to go the the ministry and murder the minister, and he was to be alone. The plan was not be in motion for several months so in hurried whispers and frantic tones she told him what he must do, fake his own suicide, and in the midst of the confusion go to Grindgotts and get as much money as he could. It was a rough and obviously rush of a plan so Draco spent three or so weeks figuring out his plan, perfecting it. It needed to be flawless in order for him to escape, alive. Voldemort didn't take lightly to betrayal. He needed them to believe he was dead or he would be sought out like a criminal. And a criminal he was.

It was a ripe Sunday morning the Draco went to Grindgots, the dew drenched the grass, and the autumn leaves were beginning to fall. No one saw problem with him going, Draco still had much freedom and they trusted him fully, part of him felt very guilty stealing money from his father. He idolized his father, and wished deeply to be him someday, but it did not appear that his father cared for him back. Though Draco was his son, Lucius had taken up the opinion of Voldemort, people were expendable, even if they were your child. He took most of what he could fit in his bag, which was quite a bit, enough for a family of ten to live for three years or so, and that wasn't even a third of it. Then as insurance he paid off the goblin who showed him to his safe. Draco waited a few days, and then he ran, transfiguring a chair to look like his dead lifeless body, and blew out the south corner of his house to look like he did it in the process of killing himself. The week right before his faked death, he had been acting right depressed, and upset, as to further the idea that he indeed killed himself.

He placed his wand in his "lifeless" hand and ran as fast as he could to his fire place, grabbing a handful of floo powder. If his plan worked right, he would have to run a mile to his muggle neighbors house and floo to Diagon Alley. They were vacationing this week so he would be clear of them seeing him. He could still remember his two bags clanking at his sides. The one on his left full of a large amount of his family's money, and the one on his right full of clothes, and a tent for him to sleep in. He ran and did not bother to look back. It was only his death he'd see.

To his luck his plan went smoothly, and he appeared in the fireplace of the Leaky Cauldron; it was early so no one would be there to see him. The bar man lived above the bar so he, for some reason kept his wand in the compartment under the bar taps Draco climbed quickly over the bar and pulled very slowly the compartment open. In it was a pale brown wand, possibly oak, he grasped it and rushed back over the bar into the alley behind the grimy place. He tapped the brick that would allow him entry and ran back inside placing the wand the way it was and closing it quietly. Draco then as fast as he could made his way through the temporary opening into Diagon Alley, which looked much more different than he remembered the first time he went there. Shops were closed and windows were broken. The only shops that seemed to be open were the ones that students needed for Hogwarts and that Weasley brother's store. A sad sight indeed.

However that was not the one he needed. He walked through the empty streets, nothing would be open for a very long time, or a few hours at least. Though he knew that the shop keeper would not be there he knew his merchandise would be. Oliveanders, he needed a new wand, one that was not know to the ministry as to not be tracked. The simplest solution to this would be a new one; as his wand was with his "body". His footsteps echoed slightly as he cautiously made his way toward the closed off shop, looking all around him as he went. He reached the shop without any problems. It was a sad sight to be seen the windows had been shattered and boarded up, the wand maker was gone.

Draco wrenched one of the boards off the building, wincing at the sound, and gazed in for a second. It had been a long while since he had been without his wand; he felt very vulnerable, and scared, feelings that he was not used to. If someone were to come after him at that moment, he would be finished, with no defenses. And with that thought he took a quick look behind him and crawled into the window. Glass cracked beneath his feet. It was dark, but was lit slightly by the pale morning sunlight that was streaming through the window he ripped open. It took him five or four times trying wands until he grabbed one that felt warm, and comforting like his first one had. He slipped it into his pocket and stepped out into the alley way. He pulled his cloak closer to him and walked briskly in the direction of the country side. It was going to be getting cold soon.

And now he was deep in the wilderness, not a soul in the world knew where he was or that he was even alive he was sure. His owl Charlie, whom he was forced to cage had flown to him unexpectedly three days after he had escaped, with the Daily Profit on which was a picture of himself dressed in his best suit laying in what could only be a coffin. The headline read, "Malfoy Cracks, Commits an Irreversible Act" They had become less creative with their headlines these days. He was expecting something witty, a play on words. It was probably his father who demanded such a bland headline.

Draco mumbled under his breath, "Stupid bird." his bird was annoying him lately she was very peeved with him for not letting her fly around, which he could understand, he himself were starting to feel cooped up. "I can't." He'd tell her over and over again. "You're going to get me caught. I can't have come all this way only to get caught by someone, think about what would happen to my mother." He would hiss at her. Stupid bird, she shouldn't have come, though he was glad she did. He would have gone insane without her there, well faster anyway.

Over his months in solitude, he had come to realize a few things, reluctantly. One, he could not hate anyone working against Voldemort, not anymore. For they were his only hope to live normally again, and not out of some stinking tent, as extravagant as it was. Two, he very much wanted to help those three annoying know it all's, as much as he did not want to admit it. Sitting and waiting was killing him, he didn't know what was happening, and didn't have a thing to do. Three, his hatred that seemed to be bread into him was mostly gone, he didn't hate mudbloods anymore, because at this moment in time he was as good as one. That irked him for weeks. He didn't much like being grouped into a bunch of people he loathed. But now, with no one to keep him company, and no one to fuel his hatred, it all but died away. For the moment anyway. There was no telling when that would change, or it would at all.

Draco was pulled out of his thoughts, by a screech from his bored owl. He turned to her his blond hair sweeping in front of his icy blue eyes, he didn't care much for fixing it anymore. "Charlie, shut it!" He almost yelled at the feathered animal. He couldn't, if he was right, Voldemort had sent someone else to do what he was meant to, and in turn the ministry must have now been taken over, and in all likelihood they were searching through all the owls. So he had to be careful, and being careful meant making his owl very angry with him, then it had to be that way. "I'm sorry Char, I juts can't risk it." The owl hooted dismayed, and fluffed out her feather's. "I'm sorry." he repeated. And with that the Owl quieted down.

He sighed, Draco needed to find something to occupy his time. But what? His owl hooted again, as if to check to see if he had changed his mind. Draco's expression went sour. He was thankful to have something living with him, but boy did he wish that animal dead sometimes. "Alright!" He screamed. "You can go, but if you bring anybody unwanted anywhere near hear, I will wring your neck so fast you won't be able to say 'Hooo'." He ripped open the door of her metal cage. "Bloody Git." He hissed. The owl looked at him uncertainly. "Go, before I change my mind, sneak me a Daily profit if you will, and don't get caught." He stated flatly. Charlie flow out of her cage with visible glee, happy to stretch her wings.

"HELP!" he herd a voice scream suddenly. Startled he looked around trying to find who had screamed it. He would have started to pack his things frantically, if he didn't have countless amounts of charms around him, and his tent, he was invisible. His ice blue eyes widened in shock, streaking through the tree's was a girl, and not to far behind her was a pack of what must have been five death eaters.

"COME BACK YOU FILTHY ANIMAL!" came a familiar voice, it was his father.

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1.03.01


	2. Choices

Chapter Two: Choices

(Author's note I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters.)

It all happened very fast, one second she was preparing breakfast for Harry, Ron and herself, the next she was running for her life.

That morning had started off very normal, she awoke, first as always to the sounds of Ron's deafening snore. They had been on the run, hunting for horcruxes, and trying to survive for quite sometime now. She had no idea what could possibly had gone wrong this morning. The sun rose over the horizon lighting the clouds making them turn brilliant shades of magenta, yellow and orange as the bacon that they stole from a muggle grocery store crackled lightly on the portable stove, which they also stole,though they didn't use the propane, rather a portable fire, which Hermione conjured. Fire was something of a specialty for Hermione. Stealing was wrong, but less wrong during times of war, especially if one of the ones stealing was saving the world, so to speak.

Many things had happened over the course of the months they were fighting Voldemort. If fighting, is what you could call it. They were like a gorilla force, hiding, dodging the main problem. She flipped the bacon and sighed to herself. To her right there was a pan of maple pancakes that were making themselves. Hermione never understood how Mrs. Weasley managed to have so may things making themselves at once. In any case, Hermione had gotten stuck with making breakfast for the three of them, when she had Harry and Ron try, the results... to say the least were abysmal. "Typical woman." she whispered to herself as she went to the cupboard and pulled out some plates. Lately, she had been the glue between the three of them, the Locket, horcrux, around Ron's neck, had made him go... funny. He had been acting different, secretive, angry, and Harry had been his target. She was doing what she could, but if they didn't fix this soon, then she didn't know what would happen to them all.

She began to hum a tuneless song to herself, trying, and failing, to get her mind of her present situation, killed on sight if seen by a death eater. As expected, a few minutes after she placed the strips of bacon onto the pan, one of the boys began to stir. She didn't look to see who it was, she knew, Ron's snoring had ceased. Hermione heard him jump off of the top bunk and land noisily on his feet. "That smells like heaven, Hermione." She herd him say, and felt her face get hot, of course she would blush at a simple compliment. She would never admit it but she was very much enthralled Ron.

"Its only bacon and pancakes." She said softly smiling. Ron watched as she flipped the Bacon again, and as the grease danced around the strips. His mouth watered. He loved food. He loved how humble she was. Ron was brought out of his stupor by the sound of a bed creaking. He turned his head to look behind him, anger welling up inside him. Harry. He tried but still failed slightly to repress a scowl. He didn't care about anyone but himself, the dirt bag. Harry didn't care that Hermione and himself were helping despite the obvious danger their families were in, he didn't care that so many times Harry carelessly put them all in danger without thinking, to satisfy his need for fame. Ron turned away before he said anything and moved to the other side of the table, sitting down.

Of course Harry had noticed, Ron, was after all his best friend. He was acting strange more than strange, but he didn't dare ask why. Ron mumbled under his breath all the time, and scowled at him from across the room, for no reason. There was definitely something wrong. "Smell's good Hermione." Harry stated in approval trying to ignore Ron's obvious anger. She nodded and smiled at him, which warranted a dirty look form Ron that Harry pretended not to see. Hermione took the bacon out of the pan piece by delicious piece and placed them on the table, then walked back to the counter and grabbed the stack of pancakes, which had successfully made themselves , along with the butter and syrup.

"Oh drat." She muttered, her face falling looking disappointed with herself.

"What is it?" Ron was the first to ask. Looking more concerned than necessary.

"I forgot to check go barrier around us this morning." She sighed. She knew better than that. Mentally she scolded herself. Harry was the only one who could defeat Voldemort, and here she was being careless about their safety, how stupid. Harry and Ron merely nodded digging into the simple breakfast that she had made for them all, not seeing why she had to be so worried. "Save me some bacon this time." She said looking over her shoulder, halfway smiling. Before she walked out of the tent she grabbed her warm wool coat, hat and scarf. It was fall now and was getting to be terribly chilly in the mornings. She began walking toward the entrance, looking around cautiously before she decided to step out rubbing her hands together.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her wand. She jogged slightly toward the edge of the barrier, trying to get it done as fast as possible and stay warm. She didn't see it until after she tripped but there was root from the large tree the tent was over sticking out of the ground. She knew she tripped for sure when she felt her rib cage hit a rock sticking out of the soil, hard. "Bloody hell!" she yelled without thinking. Harry and Ron ran out of the tent to see what had happened, only she could not see them, or the tent for that matter, at least the barrier had held up. Hermione had fallen outside of the barrier. There was laughter suddenly a shiver went down her spine. Hermione's head shot up. There standing before her was Lucius Malfoy. She felt the blood drain from her face, and limbs, for some reason she could feel the cold now.

Standing behind him were four hooded figures, all of whom were getting closer to her. Lucius was standing fifteen feet away from her which gave Hermione just enough time time to quickly stand up and give a message to Harry. "Don't you dare come to help me. I can take care of myself. You're needed alive more than I am. Ron, take off the Horcrux. If you so much as put a toe out of that barrier I will, and don't put it past me, kill myself. When I tell you, gather everything you can and Apperate." On the other side of the barrier, Harry and Ron herd her message, the seriousness in her voice was clear. They had to listen. With the wave of Harry's wand the tent collapsed and packed itself. This was going to be hard to watch

"If it isn't the Mudblood, Granger." She herd Lucius hiss as he got closer to her, his cold eyes boring into hers.

"Mr. Malfoy." She said raising her chin, trying to look proud, but her fear was obvious, she was trembling.

"Where is 'He'? Where is the famous Harry Potter?" Lucius hissed, his expression smug. His icy blue gray eyes looked from her face into her chocolate brown ones. Her stomach churned, Hermione was lucky she didn't have any food in her stomach.

"To whom are you referring to?" She asked calmly, her resolve dwindling visibly beneath her skin.

"I could always make you talk." He said looking down at his wand as if he had never seen it before. Like a child who had a new toy. He looked cruel. This man clearly had not a drop of compassion in his body.

"I still wouldn't dare go telling you." Hermione said a little more proudly than before.

"We shall see." He stated his entire body became still as his eyes rolled up and looked at her, she could almost feel the ice. She would pay for her insolence. He raised his wand, and before she could defend herself he screamed, "Crucio!"

Hermione was about to defend herself, when what it felt like was a million needles, burning icy needles penetrated her, but not only her skin but her mind and soul. She was brought to her knees, screaming pitifully in pain, her body moving uncontrollably. Lucius smiled at the girls pain as she writhed beneath his curse. For a moment the thought crossed his mind of doing worse things to her, but it passed quickly, that would only bring shame upon him.

"Please!" She was crying over and over again, "Please stop!" she pleaded as tears ran down her cheeks, Lucius didn't care, he rather enjoyed her cries of pain and pleading. The pain felt like it had gotten worse. "I beg you!" She screamed as she began to crawl toward his feet slowly stopping every now and then. Harry and Ron on the other side of the barrier were fighting the urge to kill Lucius, to scream at him, to make him suffer, but they could not; they knew that once she was no longer under the curse she would kill herself to keep the information she had. Ron was surprised she hadn't told Lucius yet.

Just as she reached his shoes, the smile on his face was sickeningly large, like a child had just received the largest piece of candy ever. Her pleading was making her voice grow hoarse. Her body was contorting in ways ones should, and she was beginning to claw at her arms and rip out her own hair. "Will you tell me!" He screamed at her. She nodded crying out in immense pain, seemingly unable to form words. Lucius dropped his wand to his side. Hermione took in several long breaths before she looked up at him again, she had crawled to his feet, and appeared to be be begging. She looked down at the ground, taking more deep breath's. "Well?" Lucius demanded, his tone impatient. She smiled at he ground.

Leaning back on her hands she crawled so that she was five feet or so away from the group of death eaters. "NOW!" she screeched. In the midst of confusion the death eaters had no idea what to do. Before any of the death eaters realized it, she had raised her wand and screamed at the top of her lungs with all the strength she could muster, "CONFRINGO!" from the tip of her wand came a massive force hitting a tree between her and the death eaters, it exploded, and knocked them off their feet, giving her a diversion to run. On her left she herd a small 'pop'. "Good they left." She whispered as she began to sprint at full speed in the opposite direction.

Unfortunately it did not take very long for the Death eaters to recover from the bast that she created, and they were soon pursuing her, in their weird way of 'flying', it couldn't really be described as anything else. They were gaining; without thinking she screamed spells over her shoulder, not looking to see if any of them hit. "HELP, HELP!" Hermione's horror stricken voice screamed, she knew now that if they caught her she would be tortured, then killed, maybe worse. She didn't allow herself to think of such things. She ran faster. That would not be her fate. At least she hoped. Her legs were beginning to tire, and without food in her stomach there was little to fuel her escape. Her last resort was to scream. And scream again.

"HELP!" he herd a voice scream suddenly. Startled he looked around trying to find who had screamed it. He would have started to pack his things frantically, if he didn't have countless amounts of charms around him, and his tent, he was invisible. His ice blue eyes widened in shock, streaking through the tree's was a girl, and not to far behind her was a pack of what must have been five death eaters.

"COME BACK YOU FILTHY ANIMAL!" came a familiar voice, it was his father. Draco was not quite sure what to do, then he saw who it was running. Hermione Granger, the girl did have a knack for getting into trouble. He didn't know what to do. True that he wanted to help the three, but he didn't need his Father and all of the death eaters after him. Draco had not a clue how the 'magic trio' managed to evade them so well and for so long; one thing he was certain of was that he couldn't do it as well as they had. He looked at the ground hard. 'What do I do?' he thought. He looked back up, Bellatrix had just managed to miss her by an inch. It was clear that Hermione had been running for some time. And couldn't keep up the zig zagging motions she was taking.

"BANG!" Hermione was hit in the back and fell to the ground face first, hitting hard; her wand had fallen out of her grasp just feet in front of her. She lay still for a second before she started to crawl forward trying to reach her wand. Blood was on the side of her mouth and dripping slightly from her nose. Draco Knew what was going to happen to her now. Before she could reach her wand his father stepped next to it. Hermione watched as his legs came into view, "No, please." She whispered feebly; to which Lucius responded with a swift kick to the side of her head. Hermione was flung onto her side, blood starting to form on the top of her head where his boot had connected with her skull.

"CRACK!" Lucius had stepped on her wand, breaking it in two. She was defenseless now; but a least Harry and Ron had escaped, that's all that mattered. Bellatrix laughed deranged, Lucius smiled along with her. Lucius took a step closer to Hermione's almost non moving form, and then without warning kicked her as hard as he could in her stomach, her body contorted into the fetal position. She hugged her knees, and then coughed blood coming out of her mouth. She didn't beg, she knew it would make things worse for her, there was no one around so she just had to accept her fate, which was death. Bellatrix hovered over the bleeding girl for a second then raised her wand. "Crucio." She said sweetly, as if it were something comforting. An smile forming across her chapped lips.

Once again Hermione began to move in unnatural jerky movements. She rolled onto her back the middle of her raising off the ground as if possessed; she screamed in agony, and beyond agony. More blood came coughing out of her mouth, and down the side of her face. How hard had Lucius kicked her? Lucius raised his hand indicating for Bellatrix to stop, she did, after a second or two. "Now, where are they?" He asked softly, trying to lure her with his charm.

"Left. Apperated... No. Idea. Where. They. Went." She said between gasps of air and coughs of blood. Lucius shook his head, walked around to her other side and kicked her as hard as he could in her kidney. She cried out in pain, and then Lucius waved for Bella to go again. Happily she complied. Hermione cried, screamed and pleading which warranted little notice from any of the death eaters. Draco watched horrified at the level of violence the took toward this girl. She was bleeding. Just then Lucius kicked her in the bottom of the jaw, no doubt breaking something. Her head snapped upward with his foot, and she screamed louder. And then in her back, then rib cage, and again her stomach, all at full force. "HELP ME! Somebody please..." Her voice grew quieter on the last part. She knew no one could help her. He itched to help her, but how? His father could not know that he was alive, that would jeopardize everything.

Lucius raised his hand again for Bellatrix to stop, which she did, slower than the time before. "This is your last chance you fifthly fucking animal. Where are they!" he screamed. Beneath him Hermione curled into a ball with one arm stretched out. She didn't answer. Lucius infuriated stomped over to her and with all his strength stomped hard on her forearm. Draco could hear her arm break from all the way across the clearing. He nearly screamed as she did. Hermione clutched her broken right arm and rolled onto her back. Lucius still livid did the same to her left leg, which made even more of a crack. Draco turned away, nearly vomiting in his mouth at the sound, and the gargled yelp that escaped her mouth. She was crying hysterically now He couldn't believe he wanted to be this man. Lucius Malfoy was a monster. "Beat her." He said simply, and within seconds the other three came down on her kicking and punching her. Without mercy, they used all of their strength, Draco could hear fists connecting with her head, face and abdomen, as well as she "Oofed" to being kicked repeatedly in the torso. "Stop." Lucius commanded.

He had no choice he had to help her whatever the cost. But what to do? He felt his heart rate quicken and his palms go sweaty as a dose of adrenaline pumped through his veins. He had to act.

"I'll never help you, you inbred pure blooded swine." Hermione managed out of breath, she knew she had gone to far. She was in terrible pain, but she knew she could not help them, she couldn't see out of one of her eyes; it meant little now. Either way, if she knew anything she wouldn't have, but since she didn't she couldn't help at all.

Lucius stared at her in fury. "Insolent fool." He screeched. "Kill her." He commanded. Voldemort would praise him for defeating one of the trio, especially since she was the brains. Just then Draco remembered something. Peruvian instant darkness powder. He had some in his bag. He, quickly as he could gathered all of his things and stuffed them into his bags. Draco grabbed his black hoodie and placed the hood over his face so they would have less of a chance of seeing him. With a wave of his wand the barriers went down. Slowly he reached into his bag pulling out the hunk of powder. He was behind them so they would not see him coming. He ran holding the powder in his hand and just before he reached them he threw it. In the darkness he shoved his father and Bellatrix out of the way and scooped Hermione's broken form in his arms. And before the darkness wore off he apperated, far away from the forest they were in prior. He had never been the hero kind of felt good, but he didn't have time to pay attention to that feeling now.

"Who are you?" She asked unable to see his face her vision obscured. She was fading fast. He placed her on the ground a gave her a once over, kneeling next to her. Her injuries were far to severe for him to fix. Where to take her? He drew a blank.

"Don't worry about that now." He said softly, panic clear in his voice. Now that she was close up and bleeding, he could clearly see her blood was not dirty; however it was staining the front side of his shirt and hoodie. "Hermione. I need you to listen, can you do that?" he asked looking her in the eye.

"You sound familiar, I, I know who you are!" She screeched, more blood coming out of her mouth in her exasperation. "You're one of them! Put me down! Put me down Malfoy!" she screamed fighting like an almost dead fish.

"Shh, Granger, calm down. I'm not here to hurt you I promise." His voice rising. He took off his hood and looked her dead in the eye. Trying to reassure her.

Though she was fading she knew Malfoy, and this was no Malfoy. He looked sincere and he wasn't smirking like he usually did, which was highly unusual. She was getting sleepy. "What do you want Malfoy?" she managed trying to sound mean.

"Where do I take you?" He said as calm as he could. "I need to get you fixed up."

"Saint Mungo's to risky. Grimmauld place compromised..." She grabbed on to him "Let me." and before he could protest she had apperated them, probably with the last of her strength into a nice kitchen with white tiled floors. Which were soon contaminated with specks of blood that she coughed up. Her eye lids moved lazily. She was looking glassy eyed.

"You can't fall asleep yet." He said firmly. He looked up walking around. "HELLO!" Draco called picking her up in his arms again standing and walking out of the kitchen into the hallway. "I need some help!" He called. There was silence, and then a voice answered.

"Who is it?" Said a familiar voice from down the hall. And soon there were foot steps to fallow. Out into the hallway stepped Remus Lupin. At first he looked angry, then he looked sacred, then confused. "Malfoy? What happened?" He asked completely lost, horrified at the pulp that was Hermione in Draco's arms.

It was Hermione who answered. "Bellatrix, Lucius, hurt, Harry got away, Draco, saved." She wheezed, and then closed her eyes, as if to sleep. Lupin merely nodded and beckoned them down the hallway into a room, where Tonks, Draco's estranged cousin was.

Draco placed her on the bed and looked up at his former professor, he hated that man, though he wasn't quite sure why. Draco hated many people without actually knowing why. He hated Hermione, even though he helped her, Potter, Weasley. He hated the lot of them. He hated Voldemort, he knew why, he was the one who had put him in this situation. He hated his father, and all of the death eaters, it seemed the only person he didn't hate was his mother, he even hated himself. He wished his life still made sense.

"What happened?" Lupin demanded pulling out his wand, looking over her still bleeding form, she was going pale, was cold to the touch. "We're losing her..." He whispered, not bothering to look up at Draco. Tonks came to his side aiding with her recovery whispering things here and there about her injuries.

"My father, and Bellatrix and four others chased her. They kicked her... beat her, and used the Cruciatus curse on her, more than once. They snapped her wand, and I pretty sure her arm and leg are broken." His voice sounded robotic as he said the words, remembering the sound of her shrieks and the profound "CRACK" her bones had made when they were broken. He cringed.

"That explains a lot, I can only hope if she is not lost to us that her mind had stayed intact." Lupin said more to himself than anyone else.

True that Draco had wanted to help Potter and Weasley, and Hermione, but he had wanted to do it for selfish reasons. Draco wanted his old luxurious life back. Though he was met with conflicted feelings, he did not want his father, whom he saw for he truly was now, in his life. Draco didn't have a clue that they were that cruel. He looked down, there was blood on his hands, and all over the front half of his clothes. He felt very ill. Blood. So much blood. He ran out of the room and into the bathroom, where finally he vomited, the sound of Hermione's leg snapping playing over and over again in his mind. After leaning over the toilet he quickly ran to the sink and began to scrub his hands, and arms. The water turning red with it all. He then washed his face, not noticing that he was crying. After he was done be backed up his back hitting the wall and then slid down it, until he hit the floor where he placed his face in his hands and began to sob. "Fuck!" he screamed. Why did this all have to happen? Today had drastically changed him, he didn't know what was right anymore.

* * *

The black smoke cleared. Lucius's cold eyes looked around in anger, the girl was gone. It must have been that meddling Potter and Weasley. He let out a sound that could only be described as a growl.

"You let her get away!" Bellatrix teased. She was surely going to tell their master, And Lucius was going to be punished.

There was a bird call from up above, Lucius looked up. "Charlie?" it was Draco, his dead son's owl. What was she doing here? Could it be? No.

C4DF9950-51AB-239A-BFF2-1090706A7AB0

1.03.01


	3. A Shattered Mind

Chapter Three: A Shattered Mind

(Author's note I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters.)

Lucius looked up at the sky, the bird was circling in the air clearly looking for something, or perhaps someone. He had a great deal of experience with the bird, seeing as how he was the one who bought it for his son. The animal did not take to anyone but Draco. It nipped at everyone who it had to sent a letter to. What was she searching for? ... It was impossible. Draco couldn't possibly be alive, that would mean... Lucius had bread a traitor. What a waste of seventeen years of cultivating a mirror image of himself. He looked over at Bellatrix who was still teasing him ruthlessly about how he had let the girl slip out of his fingers. He scowled at her. This evening was going to be a bad one indeed. Unless... the discovery of a traitor in their midst would greatly overshadow the escape of a girl. Especially if... if it was revealed that his son was working with the infamous Harry Potter. He reached into his pocket retrieving a silver pocket watch. It was nearly nine thirty in the morning. "Bellatrix," Lucius said clearly annoyed "I believe your nephew is the one that saved that animal from us." He said making sure to not claim him as his son. Bellatrix deliberately stopped laughing.

"What?"She asked clearly confused, looking around as if he, Draco, would be in the bushes, holding the dirty blooded girl in his arms.

"Look there." Lucius said calmly pointing at the circling animal. Realization had dawned across her crazed features.

"You bread a blood traitor." She sneered. Laughing once again.

"That is not yet certain, we must go to his grave. Perhaps that wasn't his body." Fury and disappointment screamed inside of him. How could Draco do this to him, suicide was bad enough. Could he really have produced a boy who would do this? Save a no good dirty mudblood from death? Was it possible? He could not be sure until he checked the body. If it had not decayed then... it would be true. Lucius made the point to himself that if it came down to that he would hunt down his 'son' personally and kill him. Another question entered his mind, who had helped him. Though his son was cunning and smarter than any boy his age, he couldn't have come up with it all by himself. "Narcissa." He whispered so only he could hear himself. A mother would do anything to save her son.

* * *

There was a small almost inaudible pop.

Harry and Ron landed with a thud in a random place in the woods; probably the first sight they stayed, neither of them knew, and neither of them knew who had apperated. They just knew they had to leave. If Harry didn't listen... They were just trying to get away, so that way if... neither of them wanted to think it, but both knew the other was. If... if Hermione, they're dear friend for more than six years was dead... then she would not have died in vain. Ron, doing as she instructed reluctant slipped the golden chain off of his neck, handing it to Harry. Harry did not take it and watched as it fell to the ground beneath them. "She said..." Ron's voice broke off, part of him seemed to be dying, he loved that girl, and he never even got to say it. Ron dropped to his knees grief overcoming his body. He began to cry uncontrollably. "Hermione... You can't be. Please..." He kept saying over and over again never able to finish a sentence.

Harry fell too doing something similar but not quite as extream. The horcrux lay between them as both of them lamented for their fallen friend. There was no way that she could have outran them, and knowing Hermione, she didn't apperate for fear of them grabbing a hold of her and fallowing. "Ron." He wheezed out between sobs of loss. "We have to stick together now... she would have wanted it. I'm so... so sorry..." he inhaled sharply before he could finish. Ron unable to form any other words merely nodded, as he banged his fists into the soil. Harry clutched his heart, he had witnessed someone close to him die before, his beloved Uncle Sirius, but he could not and did not dare imagine what would happen if one of his two best friends had died. In robotic motions Harry stood still crying and began to put up protective spells. If they were going to weep, they needed protection.

Hermione was dead.

Neither of them knew what to do without her.

* * *

Vaguely, very faintly, and almost not at all she felt something soft underneath her. In some distant place she heard voices. None of that mattered right now. The only thing that did was escaping. The cloud she was sure she was laying on was very comfortable. Heaven was nice, or maybe it was hell? Either way she could give less of a damn. She felt a cool breeze roll across her. It felt funny, and strangely painful. Funny her fingertips wouldn't move, neither would her toes. Funny but odd. Somewhere in a half remembered dream she remembered screaming, for help. Why had she done that? Then there was running, so much running. Pain, pain pain, and someone yelling something funny at her, it couldn't have been a spell could it? Suddenly she was reliving it. Lucius, Bellatrix... and more. All of them were after her. And then, they caught her. Beat her. Hermione winced as she remembered it all. "Help!" she screamed. Not realizing that it wasn't happening to her anymore. Still it did not matter, her entire body was remembering it, was hurting lit up in searing intense pain that not only she couldn't comprehend, but couldn't stop. She felt herself stiffen once more and her movements go rigid, distorted and strange. She felt herself cry out is immense pulsating pain.

No, no, she mustn't remember that. Not ever. She felt herself curl into a ball and watched as her mind shattered, willing the bad memories away. Far, far away, into a tomb that her mind had created just for them, to be locked up for all eternity. What she didn't realize is she was locking away much more than she should. She was locking away everything that had happened to her, the only thing she left was herself. Hermione became a person who didn't know how they had gotten where they came to. She'd even forgot her name. What use was a name anyway when you were trying and succeeding in forgetting your own life.

One of the only thing she remembered was someones icy cold blue stare looking down at her with clear panic in them. There was sadness beneath those mystery eyes, and much confusion. Why were they confused. Surely with such beautiful blue eyes, they couldn't be confused, could they? Hermione opened her brown eyes not sure of who she was, she knew a few things, she knew spells, and bits of knowledge, but she knew nothing about her self. Who was she? Then she recognized something, it sounded like someone was sobbing.

In the corner of the room there was a mass of bloody fabric, that Hermione noted to herself to forget, whomever was bleeding on it must have been hurt badly. There was a sling on her arm, and when she stood and walked she had a pronounced limp, it hurt to walk. She felt like she was bruised all over. She wondered wearily what had happened to her. But before she got to far on that thought there was a sharp pain in her left temple, staggering and placing her good hand on her head she abandoned the thought. She looked over at the mirror, she was wearing flannel plaid Pajamas, her eye was puffy and she had blotches of purple and black etched across her face and down her neck. She shrugged and took a reluctant step forward. "Ouch." She said softly not trying to draw attention in her direction. She started toward the door, and opened it slowly. It creaked, trying to tell someone she was awake. She almost but not quite jumped back. No one was rushing toward her to help her, so she assumed she was okay.

"Lupin and Tonks left the room after an hour, they looked as though they were about to kill him, but Tonks, grasping her pregnant belly saw the state that Draco was clearly in. "Remus." She stated calmly, a minuet amount of disbelief in her voice, she didn't actually believe what she was about to say. "He clearly wasn't in on this, he's visibly shaken by it all." Draco didn't look up as the walked away into the other room so that he was sure they could keep a close eye on him. In Hermione's room he could hear her screaming like she was going through it all again; and it all likelihood she was, the Cruciatus curse tended to do that to people. Draco sat on the bathroom floor for what seemed like forever. There was so much he was thinking, most of it things he never thought he would think. Though 'She' was a mudblood, that kind of violence clearly was not needed. He ran his fingers through his untidy hair hanging in his face, still sobbing, not sure why. No matter what Draco had found out about his father he had never been able to see that man as a monster. Draco felt dirty, he had helped one of them, that made him as a good a a Weasley. Were the Weasley's so bad? Of course they were. They were blood traitors. True, true indeed that Draco was as good as mudblood, or a blood traitor, but that didn't mean he was one.

Draco looked up at the sound of rustling fabric. His hatred of mudbloods came undone, but only slightly. Standing just feet in front of him was Hermione, with a concerned look on her face. One of her eyes was swollen, and purple, her right cheek, and half of her face was bruised deeply, down the middle of her bottom lip there was a split that was still a little bloody. Her right arm was in a sling, she was limping her left leg clearly stiff. Up and down her arms there were bruises, as well as her neck. She looked like she had been through hell and back; she had, he knew that her entire body was probably covered in bruises. And then she spoke, his heart gave a lurch, her voice was almost lost and raspy. "Where am I?" she asked softly.

Lupin was immediately around the corner, Draco did not move, He could merely stare at the girl that was gored by his father. There was something off about her, she had not hissed in distaste toward him yet, though he deserved it. "You're at Tonk's parents house." Hermione looked down at the floor looking uncomfortable and confused.

"Oh." She said softly. "Who am I?" she asked her face looking absolutely lost, her voice sounding pathetic. There was a heavy silence that fallowed her question. She had been cursed by Bellatrix after all. Lupin's face looked horrified, then enraged.

"You don't remember?" He asked his voice on edge, slowly his body was revolving toward Draco. Draco would be blamed for this; and he knew it. And he knew he deserved it.

"No. I don't really remember any thing." She said not noticing Remus turning slowly toward Draco, hostility in his features, Hermione didn't recognize that however. Just then she noticed something. Those icy blue eyes that she remembered, one of the only things she remembered, were looking straight at her. "You!" she said with excitement, bouncing slightly, her voice cracking.

Lupin took it as fear. "Was he the one who did this to you?" he demanded. Tonks rounding the corner, heavily pregnant. She walked behind Lupin observing the situation.

"No, no, I don't think so at least." She looked him over, Draco looked utterly miserable, there were tears streaking mid way down his face, they had stopped by now, but his eyes were red, and his nose was runny. This is what upset looked like. She looked a him as if trying to remember and decide something. She looked him in the eye, there was the sadness, confusion and now fear. As Draco watched her watching him he wondered what she was seeing that he didn't, she had the look of a predator as she took step by step closer to him. Her eyes scrutinizing every part of him. Her feet making faint creaks on the floor, he thought about her pouncing on him like a great cat. Their eye contact did not break until she was less than a foot from him and looking into his eyes. "I think he helped me." She said after what seemed like a life time, her voice low, blinking and looking up at Lupin, Draco nodded not taking his gaze off of Hermione. She reached with her left arm toward the toilet paper wadding it up. Gently she dabbed at Draco's face. Draco was to stunned and bewildered to move away or call her an insult. Which was strange, normally he would have slapped her, for even trying to touch him. He concluded that it was just his shock from all the blood. "So who am I?" she asked again still tending to Draco.

Lupin looked utterly aghast, and before he answered he shook his head snapping himself out of a daze. "Your name is Hermione Granger." He said in a flat tone. His worst fears had come true, her mind was gone. They were Lucky, she remembered how to talk, and move, so Hermione wasn't completely lost. If he could He would have sent a patronus to Harry, but the house was being watched.

Hermione smiled. "I have a pretty name!" She exclaimed a tad bit to childishly. She looked to her left and tossed the wad of paper in the basket then looked quickly back at Draco. "Who are you?" she asked happily. Draco took a sideways glance at the two standing in the hall pleading in his eyes. This was the last thing he needed, more sympathy toward a mudblood.

Draco was lucky Tonks saw the look on his face and she stepped in front of Lupin. "You do have a VERY Pretty Name Hermione!" She said matching the lost girls enthusiasm. Lupin looked down at his eccentric wife gratitude streaking across his features for neutralizing the situation. "That young man over there next to you is Draco, he's my Cousin." Hermione looked absolutely enthused. "Why don't you go with Remus," she placed her had on Remus's chest, "and he'll show you around the place." Lupin nodded and paraded a fake smile, Hermione wouldn't know the difference. Hermione stood up and walked after Lupin who took a lighter tone with Hermione.

"Here we have the kitchen!" They could hear Lupin saying. "We have all sorts of goods in here like strawberries."

Hermione giggled, then asked in all seriousness. "Do I like strawberries?" Her almost lost voice echoing in the kitchen slightly. Lupin didn't respond for a moment.

"I'm not sure." He said sounding unsteady.

Tonks stifled a laugh then looked down at Draco, her expression went cross. "What happened? Why aren't you with your father? Oh, that's right you're dead. Are you on the run Mr. Pure blood? What does You-Know-Who have you up to this time?" Her tone had darkened and so did her facial features. Draco stood his full height, which was a full head taller than the woman in front of him.

"I'll have you know Nymphadora, that I had nothing to do with that girls attack I only, and ONLY saw it happen, If you would rather her died, well, that's too bad I saved her. 'He-Who-Must-Not be named' was going to have me killed, yeah, you know months ago when the minister was killed, that was supposed to be me. If I had it my way I would be with my father. Not here with you that werewolf and a stupid mudblood-" He was cut off before he could continue, Tonks had slapped him full across the face.

"Do not, ever, use that work in this house." She stated completely calm. Draco turned on his heels to leave.

"Draco! Come try these strawberries! They are absolutely wonderful." Cried Hermione. Draco stopped looking down at the floor. On one hand, he wouldn't have to live out of a tent, at least until the girl regained her memory. Which was still a plus. He'd have food, water, comfort. It all added up. But on the other, He would be living with three people he considered under him. Surprisingly he chose the first option. He would only have to put up with the girl for a while.

Draco walked slowly into the kitchen.

* * *

Lucius infuriated, apperated to his supposedly dead sons grave, where he found his wife grieving over his tomb stone. Lucius took out his wand glaring at the woman. He was lucky that he never loved her otherwise this would be harder. Narcissa hardly noticed, she just continued to look sorrowfully at her sons tomb stone, occasionally dabbing her face. "I thought you would have figured it out sooner." She said her voice not wavering even in the slightest.

"Are you telling me Narcissa, that he's alive?" He demanded his tone vicious. She simply nodded, still looking at the grave stone like her son was actually was dead. Lucius felt his anger flare, how could she do this to him? Right when he was about to rise to power? "Why!" he demanded, spit flying out of his mouth. His wand dropping to his side.

"You carelessly threw his life around Lucius, I couldn't let you do that anymore. He was my son, he wasn't ever yours." the words hardly affected Lucius, it was partly true after all. Lucius only wanted another of himself.

"It was not your right-"

"It was not my right! Hah, It was, It was my EVERY right! I love him! I could NOT let him die in the hands of a leader who cares not for those who support him. It was my right, it was my duty, and Lucius, It was to my pleasure. Once Voldemort finds out that you missed the fact that Draco's body was actually a chair, who knows what he'll do to you. Hopefully he'll kill you, maybe send you to Azkaban... it would be fitting." She screamed sounding hysterical.

"He'll go after you, before he goes after me, you helped him escape." He said confidently.

"Not if Bellatrix tells him it was all your idea. Which, Lucius, I have told her that. She believes me." Narcissa stated then looked at the tomb stone sorrowfully once more .

"Why? He's probably helping Potter."

"I hope he is." Lucius looked startled. She wanted Potter to win?

There was a small pop then standing beside her sister was Bellatrix. "Ello' there Lucius, having a fine day? Cissy figured out your plan, well her and I did. He is going to kill you, worthless man you always were." She said casually looking down at her finger nails. "Good bye Lucius. Stupefy." Bellatrix said pointing her want right at his face. Lord Voldemort would not be very pleased. Not at all. And with that the two sisters took him to their master. Lucius's fate was sealed.

* * *

She looked around, her piercing brown eyes cautious. If she was to be caught she would be punished harshly. There had to be a way out of the castle. There just had to be. Ginny walked down the corridors silently, dodging everything that moved by hiding in corners. She had on a back pack full of what little money she had, as well as clothes. Deep down she felt somewhat guilty. True she had promised her older brother Ron that she wouldn't try and leave, but she got the very abrupt thought a few days ago that she needed to help Harry, in some way. Hogwarts was hardly worth coming to anymore so what was the point? Just as she walked by the wall where the room was she distinctly thought "I need a way out." And then a door appeared. She smiled. Ginny was quite cunning; and in that moment she knew she was.

C4DF9950-51AB-239A-BFF2-1090706A7AB0

1.03.01


	4. Deeper Understanding

Chapter Four: Deeper Understanding  
(Author's note I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters.)

Lucius rocked in the corner if his cell slightly, muttering softly to himself about escaping and revenge. The dementors particularly enjoyed him when he arrived here two and a half weeks ago, his gloating pride drew them all near, which drained him, emotionally and physically. He had lost a lot of weight and most of his sanity. It seemed the dementors had a new game, if it could be called one, leaving him alone for a few days and letting him get his strength and hopes up, and then they would swoop in their dead looking hands out stretched, toward him through the bars. Today was no such day, they feasted on someone else, today they hovered ominously next to his cell breathing in his essence, draining all warmth from the air.

Of course the dark lord believed Bellatrix, she was one of his most trusted advisers, he knew his fate the moment his wife had uttered her sisters name. As he rocked he rubbed his arms up and down and occasionally blew into his cupped hands, wrapped in the only blanket that he had,f he tried in vain to create some kind of warmth. Lucius only had one thing that had kept him going and lucid for so long, other than the the thought of escaping. He simply had to get revenge on his dear son. Faking his death and running away, it was outrageous. He would pay for making Lucius's life the way it was, hell. He would get revenge soon, he would escape, two dememtors got closer to him breathing eerily. He wouldn't escape ever. This tomb, this prison, is where he would die. Perhaps, the dementors swished silently toward another cell, he could escape. The question was, how?

* * *

Ginny wandered through the woods wondering where her brother and Harry could be. She had been tracking them, finding their campfires. There weren't many people who camped in the woods in the middle of no where. On top of that there was never any trail leading to the campfires. They went on a cycle, between five different sets of forests, only the location in the woods and which one they would be at next were random, this made it hard. Ginny had just barely learned to apperate, and a few time she had Splinched, though it was never anything to big, once she had to reattach a finger, but that was the biggest thing she had lost, mostly they were deep cuts along her arms and legs. She was getting better. Ginny was surprised of two things, first, that she could actually apperate her entire body, and second that she was not being traced, though that was the advantage to being a few months older than the rest of her class. Since she was seventeen the trace was gone. Today she had to find them.

Already she had run from death eaters twice, and escaped narrowly both times; but strangely enough her face had not yet turned up in the papers. In the locations she chose to search today she was sure that there were no lurking death eaters, they were cocky and felt no need to hide themselves when they were seeking out Harry Potter. Today she decided to try and find them the old fashioned way, by calling out for them and waiting to see if any of them answered or if a tent that she knew Ron had stolen would appear. "Ron!" she would call over and over again, not saying Harry's name for fear of someone realizing that she was looking for him. There were many more people named Ronald as apposed to Harry. After about an hour she was going to give up due to the fact that her throat was dry and her voice was hoarse, when out in the distance appeared a fire that was not there before. Cautiously she walked toward the fire, rubbing her hands together. It was getting dark and therefore was getting cold.

She was less than ten feet from the fire when she saw somebody step out a tent that was to the left of the fire. Ducking behind a large oak, she peered around the side, it was her brother with his hand raised above his eyes looking out. "Ginny?" he asked in almost a silent whisper. Slowly she stepped out from behind the tree, pointing her wand at him. Ron raised his hands up in surprise. "Merlin Gin, its me, your brother." he stated somewhat alarmed. Dropping her wand she rushed over to him wrapping her arms around him. Ron was the only one who called her Gin. Harry walking out of the tent quickly began to put up a barrier to be invisible and unheard. Ginny then after seeing him let go of her brother an urge overtaking her and virtually attacked Harry, throwing her arms around his neck, and forcing her mouth on his. Harry unprepared for this, fell over onto his back, not wanting to stop but also not wanting to get hit on the head by Ron ended it quickly but did not neglect to kiss back.

Ron helped his sister up and then Harry looking uncomfortable and strangely depressed, he could be angry but somehow could not find the energy. "What's wrong Ron?" she asked her brother playfully until she noticed his appearance, then her grin fell, his eyes were sunken in and his face was shaggy, his clothes clearly unkempt.

"Oh, other than seeing my sister snogging my best friend right in front of me? Its Hermione... she's..." his voice broke. It was then that Ginny realized it, she had yet to greet Hermione, and with Ron breaking down like he was it could only mean one thing. She didn't dare think about that possibility.

"What about her?" he voice was very quiet. She looked reluctant to ask.

Harry put his hand on Ginny's shoulder, taking in a deep breath and looking at the ground, blinking away tears. "She's gone..." Part of Ginny broke, Hermione was her best girl friend and now, she was gone?

* * *

Draco was peeved to say the least lately. He had gone from Hermione's number one hate to practically older brother. Lupin was always out attending secret order of the phoenix meetings, and Tonks was heavily pregnant and couldn't fallow Hermione's mad dash for knowledge, and so that left Draco to watch over the overly excited slash horribly depressed Hermione Granger. Hermione grew depressed when she would remember something upsetting, which she would never tell any one about, and was excited the rest of the time. He even had to let her use his wand to practice the spells, which she always got on the first try, that she remembered.

There was something strange about the way she remembered things, she would remember faces, little things here and there like spells and different things she had read in books, but never any of the 'big picture'; Lupin as Draco overheard thought that part of her was avoiding remembering it, she was lucky really. Lucky that she didn't have to know all that she once did. When she slept was a different matter, she would call out screaming in pain begging for help, though whenever she woke she wouldn't know why she was screaming just that she had been screaming.

She was much less childish as the weeks progressed, and now she acted almost her age. Draco had a sneaking suspicion that she was beginning to remember things about him, but it was having the opposite effect of what he wanted. Instead of being disgusted at the sight of him she was becoming more attached to him. She always greeted him with a smile, a happy smile, and occasionally she would hug him. This displeased Draco. No matter how rude or mean he was to her (without calling her mudblood, Tonks would have his hide) still she grew more and more enthralled with him. What pestered and ate away at him more is that there was the smallest most minuscule microscopic part of him that was beginning to wonder if it was so bad, if it was okay to like the attention she gave him. To which he responded with stepping stomping and crushing that part of himself telling it 'no', though like a weed, it always grew back.

Draco was sitting at the breakfast table eating a bowl of cereal. He was thinking slightly about how much Lupin and Tonks hated his presence here, how much they watched him was proof of that. Every time however, that either Lupin or his wife tried to send him away Hermione protested stating that he was okay and that he could be trusted. And when asked how she knew, all she would reply with was. "I can tell, his eyes never lie." they never protested after that. Draco wished somewhat that she would give it up and he could be sent away, but here he was safe, safety was something he felt he needed. About a week ago his face appeared in the daily profit next to his father's the headline reading, "Malfoy and son Killed the Minister." So his mother had been caught? Was his initial thought, but upon reading the article he found that it stated that his father planned for Draco to kill the minister, then fake his own death so he would not be suspected. Cleaver, but wrong. Draco shoved the paper away and continued to eat at his cereal, more forcibly than necessary.

Hermione awoke to the memory of a voice, she didn't know whom it belonged to, it was disembodied and strange. The only thing it said was her name. She was very frustrated with how she was remembering things, she had huge gaps where she had a feeling two people belonged. This much she was sure she knew, that neither of them were Draco, which was slightly upsetting. She wondered why Remus and Tonks didn't trust Draco, but thought that was a question best left for another time. Over the past three weeks Hermione had been working up the courage to ask Draco why and what he had helped her from. The question had been ebbing away at her slowly awakening mind. She had almost asked it a few times but every time she lost her nerve. Draco was very intimidating, though like a bug drawn to light she couldn't stay away from him.

She arose from her bed, still limping slightly as she walked over to her closet, she was lucky that Tonks was close to her size otherwise she would be wearing flannel Pajamas most of the time. She put on the first hing she saw and then brushed through her tangled mane of hair. Satisfied with her hair slightly deflated she walked out of her room looking both ways as if sneaking out. Today she had to ask him. Slowly she walked down the hall running her finger tips along the slightly textured wall, enjoying the feeling. Hermione approached the doorway into the kitchen, Draco was always up before everyone else, he didn't look like he slept at all sometimes, and she was sure that he didn't. She pushed the door open silently then took two steps into the kitchen and let the door behind her close. Draco didn't even look up at her, he just gave her a nod of acknowledgment.

Hermione took a deep breath. "Draco, I have a question." she stated her voice small, hands behind her back and eyes focused on the ground. He stopped eating and looked over at her.

"What is it?" his voice slightly hoarse from not using it much at all today.

"Why did you save me?" Hermione did not know the details just that he had helped her out big time, maybe even saved her life.

His face went pale and he swallowed hard. Of course she was going to ask that but did it have to be today? "You needed help, you were in danger." he said with little emotion running his fingers through his unkempt hair, he was trying hard not to remember that day that had changed him so drastically. Draco even went as far as to call her friend, even though he never said it out loud.

She could see she was making him uncomfortable, but she simply had to ask, to know. "From what?"

"A monster." he commented slowly, thinking about how terrible his father truly was,flinching slightly as he remembered the "CRACK" of Hermione's bones as his father mercilessly stomped on her frail limbs.

"What kind of monster?" she ventured, her hands began to shake slightly, she knew she had just entered into unknown territory.

"My father." he nearly spat out. Blinking back tears he looked away and resumed eating his breakfast. Trying to send the message that the conversation was over.

"Will you tell me about it?" She asked timidly.

"No." he spat. He no longer wished to remember the man he had come from.

She flinched slightly at his tone. "Oh." she said softly. She wanted desperately to know more but decided it was best left alone, for the moment anyway. And before he knew it she was next to him her arms wrapped around him. "Thank you." she said into his shoulder, then before he could shrug her off she let go and was looking through the cabinets for something to eat. He nodded again and continued to eat, the last of his breakfast in the bottom of his bowl. Draco was not even really seeing her as a dirty blooded creature, true he didn't not want her to consider him as anything more than Draco Malfoy; however he himself had already began to consider her a friend whether he realized it or not. He very much enjoyed all of her antics and smart comments, and how she knew so much, of course that was because of the books she read.

Hermione searched through the cabinets and refrigerator. There was nothing really that tickled her fancy. It all looked boring or did not appeal to her taste. What to eat? She thought. She looked over at Draco he was finishing off a bowl of some bran cereal. She decided to have a bowl, it was simple and she would have food in her stomach. She grabbed the milk and a bowl and sat across the table from him. She grabbed the daily profit for the first time, and looked at the front page, her body froze. Draco took notice of this and looked over at her, waiting for her reaction to the news head line.

Looking confidently up at Hermione was a man who looked very much like Draco, he even had the same eyes. He was smirking, and the smirk was disgustingly smug. There was a sudden pain in here head. Her hand flew up to her temple rubbing it trying to soothe the pain away. Flashes of red and pain came firing at her, as she remembered this man, Lucius, was his name, standing over her, laughing cruelly as he beat her. Hermione then remembered another figure, a woman half-crazed looking down at her with what could only be described as glee, cast a curse at her that made Hermione feel like she was being lit on fire. There was a mention of a name. "Harry Potter." then the world went dark.

Draco panicked, she froze when she saw his father's picture, he somewhat expected that, what he didn't expect was for her entire body to go ridged and for her to fall our of her chair in a heap on the floor, her eyes closed shut teeth clenched fists held tight at her sides, writhing like she was in pain but saying nothing. "Granger!" he yelled He was almost afraid to touch her. "Granger! Answer me!" he yelled getting on his knees next to her body. After about two minutes she stopped moving all except for the gentle rise and fall of her chest. Draco placed his hand on her shoulders, worried that he might get blamed for this he gently shook her. "Come on Granger, wake up." He whispered. She did not move. Unsure of what to do for a moment he thought about running before he could be blamed for what happened to the girl. Though he quickly pushed those thoughts aside, he could, without Lupin or Tonks noticing place her back in her bed, she was breathing fine and appeared to just be sleeping. Quickly without thinking he picked her up in his arms careful to not hold her uncomfortably he walked as quietly as he could toward her bedroom.

After he placed her there he decided to sit outside her door until she woke. As suspicious as this may have looked he had done this before when something similar though not as serious happened about a week ago. It was different all she did was sit down suddenly an fall asleep, falling out of her chair and having a fit had definitely scared Draco today. She was only out for maybe an hour then when she came to she remembered the faces, but nothing about Potter and Weasley. He waited anxiously outside her room. He had been there for almost an hour and still she did not wake, he was beginning to worry. Once again he was hit with conflicted feelings. He did not hate muggle-borns anymore, but just because he didn't hate them didn't mean he did like them. He described it as a strong dislike. Hermione was the one he liked the most, though still, he would not admit it to himself. He actually characterized his like for her as a weakness.

* * *

Ginny awoke the next morning curled in the fetal position, here eyes still puffy and her throat sore. She took a deep breath. She had spent the majority of the night silently weeping to herself. Hermione was a huge part of all of their lives, it was devastating to have that big of a piece ripped out of your life, your heart. Ron and Harry still unsteady on how to comfort a girl left her alone after about two hours at her request. She knew it was awkward for them to watch her cry, it was also strange for her, growing up with all older brother's she had learned well and early how to be tough. She hugged her knees for a few moments more allowing it all to soak in again, only this time she willed herself not to cry. It took all or her strength to rise from her bed and head into the kitchen. Ginny would take Hermione's place in the group, she would cook clean and be the brains of the outfit. Without Hermione Harry and Ron wouldn't know what to do, and Ginny knew it.

She walked silently into the kitchen and began to look through what they had to eat. It took her a minute, but after a while she decided to make sausage, french toast and bacon. The boys were looking a tad malnourished so she decided they needed a double dose of protein. After about five minutes of getting it all ready she waved her wand, and all three began to cook themselves, giving Ginny a chance to tidy up the tent by hand. After seventeen years of watching her mother cook she knew very well how to do it all. She turned her head at the sound of her brother climbing slowly out of his bed, trying not to make a sound. He looked surprised at what she was doing. "Ginny... you shouldn't... I should... thank you." He said clearly at a loss for words.

"Your welcome Ron." She said smiling weakly at him, as tough as she was she still could not entirely fake being happy, especially with such a large blow. "You can't talk me out of staying with you guys either. I know you'll need help finding what ever it is your trying to find. I'm smart, I can help." she stated her tone clear that there should and would not be any argument. Whether they liked it or not they were stuck with her until You-Know-Who was defeated.

"Wasn't going to say anything." Ron said yawning slightly. "I know we need someone's help." His tone became sad and then he went silent looking at the ground, he didn't feel like fighting with Ginny about it, which was very unlike him. He wasn't ready to talk about Hermione yet, and he didn't know whether he ever would be.

"What smells so good?" Harry was the next to wake, he was taking the death of Hermione better, though Ginny could tell not much better, there was still a clear downward sway to his words, and a despairing look to his features. Much like Ginny's own.

"So does anyone mind telling me what we're looking for?"Ginny said trying to defuse Ron's emotions before they got out of hand. The next few hours were spent filling her in on what they were looking for and all the things they knew about Voldemort. Ginny took it all exceptionally well, she had a feeling it was something sinister and evil like that. After breakfast much like Hermione used to, She threw herself into books looking for information of what the next possible horcrux was, and how to actually destroy one. Mentally she hit herself, she had been in castle just a few weeks ago and she knew how to open the chamber, she could have saved them a lot of trouble.

* * *

Her eyes snapped open, a wave of terror rolling over her body. The blond haired my with the cruel eyes, he was after her, she rolled on to her side and then swung her legs off the side of the bed sitting up, coming to her senses more. The man, Lucius, Draco's father was not after her. Draco had somehow managed to pull her away before her last minutes of life were indeed so. She had no idea why the man had hurt her, or the woman with the crazy eyes, but they had, and they were going to kill her. She had a new appreciation for Draco, more than she previously had. Overcome with emotion she felt a sob rise in her throat and escape her lips, and then the flood gates opened, the sobs did not stop. She was baffled as to why she was crying, and saw no reason for it. Life was confusing.

Draco jumped startled out of his light slumber by the sound of Hermione's uncontrollable sobs. He sighed, standing he had to get her to quit crying soon or else he would once again be blamed for this, as he always was. Running his fingers through his blond hair he stood and walked quietly into her room. She was sitting on the side of her bed her face in her hands, Her body was shaking from the force of her sobs. It was annoying really. First he'd find himself supporting and even liking and wishing to help those who were fighting against Voldemort, and then he'd find himself hating them all over again. He wasn't sure what to think anymore. He was not used to not knowing. Shoving away his thoughts he wondered what a normal person with regular emotions would do in a situation like this. He sighed again when he came to his conclusion. Of course. Without a word her sat on her bed beside her and pulled her into an embrace, placing his chin on top of her head. He winched slightly at the physical connection, he never was much of a people person, nor was he ever a person who liked to be touched. It was all a part of his pure blooded pride. He didn't have that right now. Right now he wanted her to stop crying.

Hermione was surprised at first when Draco sat on her be next to her, but was flabbergasted when without saying anything he pulled her close to him. It felt nice though to be comforted and be able to cry into somebody's chest. Draco was warmer than she remembered. She thought with those eyes of ice that he'd be cold to the touch. She was glad her assumptions were wrong. It felt nice to be cared about. She smiled into his chest despite herself, but continued to sob uncontrollably. She relaxed into his arms and allowed herself to cry.

As weird as it all was, part of Draco understood this need to cry, he had needed to on more than one occasion, but always held back. This one of those such times, valiantly he blinked away tears, not quite sure why he wanted to cry this time. Gently he stroked her soft brown hair, shushing her softly acting purely on instinct. "It's going to be okay." he whispered over and over. In truth, Draco would barely remember this moment in the future. All that mattered in that rare moment of humanity for Draco was comforting Hermione. For once, he felt good about his actions

C4DF9950-51AB-239A-BFF2-1090706A7AB0

1.03.01


	5. Coming Undone

Chapter Five: Coming Undone

(Author's note I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters.)

It was a few hours before Hermione's sobs had slowed to a slight sniffle. Her hands were clenched with hand fulls of Draco's shirt, and the front half of that shirt was wet. Though she was done crying she did not want to let go... and neither did Draco. He thought about that for a second. This moment for him, felt like heaven, it was warm, calm, and felt right, and at the same time felt very wrong. Draco had tried time and time again to get rid of his pride and return to the way he felt in his solitude, but it was hard. With Lupin a werewolf, Tonks the daughter of a muggle-born, and Hermione one herself, it took his entire being to not hate them. It was exhausting really to constantly try and go against what you had been taught your whole entire life. Though right now, it that moment, the feeling of "this is wrong" was almost a gentle whisper. It felt right he tried to convince himself, and it was very nice to be able to hold someone. In a weird way it felt like they had melted into each other, it was ridiculously hard to explain.

Listening to his instincts he rubbed her back and softly whispered reassurances and gently shushed her. He hardly knew how to comfort someone. At about an hour Tonks and Lupin peeked in the room, only to be utterly baffled at the sight. Draco Malfoy, holding Hermione Granger. Lupin left without explanation the sight too much for him to bear, and Tonks had reluctantly left after asking Hermione if she was okay, to which she responded with a sharp nod. They had not opened the door since, though Draco could hear pacing outside the door which would stop every now at then, which he assumed was one of them listening at the door. That didn't bother him, much. He had done nothing wrong, and was doing something right, and he continued to tell himself that.

Hermione was just as shocked as Tonks and Lupin were. Though she did not remember a whole lot about her life at the mysterious school Hogwarts, she did remember pieces of Draco Malfoy. He had called her rude names, and hexed her. He was stuck up and completely absorbed with himself. This was a brand new Draco Malfoy. It was odd, but she was drawn to him. Tonks had explained to her that outside the safe haven of the house there was a war; a war that would determine the fate of the wizarding world, and later on the muggle one. She also explained her theory that Malfoy was running from The Dark Lord, and that over his journey he had begun to change. This Hermione knew to be true. She had seen it herself whenever Draco had insulted her he always had on an expression of confused guilt that he tried to force into a smirk that she had seen before on Lucius Malfoy. Today she had seen the other side of Draco a side that she wasn't sure existed. Today was monumental. He usually avoided any physical contact with her, or anyone else, though that didn't appear to be true anymore, at least for now.

Between remembering and crying uncontrollably she was exhausted; Hermione inhaled sharply. She had no idea that crying could take so much out of a person. She wiped her nose on what must have been the billionth tissue, and yawned. Hermione did not want to fall asleep mentally, but physically she could feel the pull, she had slept a lot today. "Thank you." she said softly her voice still thick, still grasping onto his shirt. It felt like there were weights tied to her every action, thought and word.

"For what?" Draco was brought out of his world of thought. He looked down at her.

"Everything." She stated simply her voice groggy.

Draco looked back up at the wall that he had been staring at prior. He thought about that momentarily Did he deserve thanks? Perhaps. Did he deserve her gratitude? No. What did he say to her? "It was nothing." he said blinking not looking down at her. She nodded taking in another sharp breath.

Her body began to relax muscle by muscle against him. She was very tired, and was growing more tired by the second. He could tell she was about to pass out and moved one arm to let her go. "Don't." she pleaded softly. Draco thought about that for a moment consulting his inner self. He placed his arm around her again. He would stay until she fell asleep. He nodded letting her know he would stay. Today was strange indeed. Her breathing began to even out. He looked down at her. The girl in his arms somehow looked different than she did a week ago. Hermione, she looked... she was ugly to him before, though he couldn't describe her as such anymore.

He noticed things about her, her hair was not as frizzy and tangled as he once thought it to be, her eyes were deep brown, her jaw was angled, strong, but feminine, she looked frail, thin, vulnerable, he now could see the freckles across her nose and cheek bones and the three right above her lip. It was strange. He was not used to seeing people as people. They were always object's to be used, so who cared about what individual things he liked about them? He brushed a lock of hair out of her face. At last her breathing slowed, and her grip on his clothes gave way. Without waking her he laid her down in her bed tucked her in, and stood to leave her room. He looked back. Hermione looked incredibly child like in that moment. He though of his mother suddenly and what she would do.

Hermione was barely aware, she was quickly falling into a heavy slumber, the last thing she remembered was a light kiss on her forehead and a soft whisper in Draco's voice. "Sleep well." She felt warmth spread through her like wild fire, it felt nice; a smile crossed her lips, and then she fell into sleep where she dreamed of running, running through an autumn forest toward someone.

Draco closed the door behind him, he took in a deep breath. He could feel the pull of his old self, it was hissing, demanding that he return to the way he used to be. Normally Draco would agree without question, but today he asked that old part of himself 'why?', and for once the hissing was silent. He looked down at his shirt, it was wrinkled and wet, He sighed and then pulled out his wand muttering a spell to return his dark gray shirt to the way it was. He stood there for a while. Confusion inhabited his mind, it felt so wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Two wrongs don't make a right, but three? He pondered. Besides that, he wondered when he started to see Hermione in this new light, he had never acknowledged noticing specific things about her that he liked. It was down right out of the ordinary... He did like those three freckles above her lip. He shook his head of those thoughts. Draco felt weird. Almost happy. A strange look crossed his face. Was it a smile?

Someone cleared their throat down the hall, he turned to see Tonks grinning at him in an odd way. "You look kind of... giddy, oh cousin of mine." Draco quickly dropped the weird expression his face took, returning instead to the smug smirk that usually made its home on his pointed features. The hiss inside him was pleased.

"Shove off." he stated in his normal tone of voice. He turned down the hall and left for his bedroom. As he walked there he began to feel very surprised by his actions. Had he really done that? Why did he do it. She was below him. She did not deserve his concern. His brow furrowed. Stupid girl, stupid war, stupid everything. When he got into his room he punched his wall. He couldn't even begin to understand all of what he was thinking. His knuckels hurt, he gazed down at them, they were bloody. He shrugged it off and stared hard at the mirror on wall. He had acted very strange; but it was only out of desperation. He made a point to himself then, no more. He couldn't help her anymore, it only made things worse for him.

Tonks giggled, she was surprised and shocked at first when she had opened the door and observed the soft moment that was taking place under her parents roof. She had been too shocked to let them be until she asked Hermione if she was okay. It was cute in a weird way. Draco was inadvertently been helping Hermione to remember, and in turn Hermione was helping Draco more than, Tonks was sure, he realized. Tonks had wanted to get rid of Draco, and so did Lupin, but her feelings were different now. There was something happening.

The weeks passed, and overall they were okay. Draco tried to be the proud pure blood he used to be, but deep down he felt dirty. He understood less and less why it was okay, and the logic behind hating muggle-borns. Needless to say, slowly Draco was changing. He didn't necessarily hate it. He just ingnored it, acted like it wasn't happeing. Hermione remembered more and more, though still nothing of her family or friends, only faces. The tension was growing between Lupin and Tonks. Tonks had given birth to a boy which they named called Teddy. She wanted desperately to be both a mother and a fighter. Lupin, ever protective, wanted Tonks, and Teddy to go to the Safe house the Tonks parents were at, it would be safer there for the both of them. Tonks agreed that Teddy should go, but would hear nothing about leaving herself. She was at a cross roads, she wanted to be with Lupin and Teddy. The house was gathering more suspicion. Just outside there was a gathering crowd of one to four death eaters a day. The had no idea who inhabited the house just that there were Order members inside. Had they known Draco was there as well as Hermione, he was sure that there would have been more.

"Run..." Hermione herd someone scream, this was all to real. A large portion of the house was missing, and laying in a heap on the floor was Lupin, covered in blood staring almost blankly at her. She didn't respond or even move. "RUN!" he screamed at her standing very slowly. There were flashes of light surrounding them and screams of what could only be curses around them. Water from the rain was dripping in through the missing section of the house. Outside the wind was howling. Still Hermione did not move, frozen in terror. Her face contorted. "RUN GOD DAMN IT!" Lupin screamed grabbing her shoulders and shaking. Hermione snapped out of it.

"What about you?" her voice hysterical.

"It dose not matter, NOW GO!" his voice was harsh. She ran not looking back at Lupin, though she herd him cry out in pain. She had no idea where Tonks or Teddy were.

She ran toward the back of the house so she could try to make her escape. Without a wand she was as good as a Muggle. As she ran she was seized around the waist and pulled into a closet. She tried to scream but a firm hand clasped over her mouth. "Shhh, Hermione its me Draco." He said in a frantic whisper. She relaxed, Draco had a wand, Draco could protect her. She relaxed but only minutely. He took his hand off her mouth, and she turned to look at him. Her body shook. "I need you to do as I say." She nodded curtly.

He placed a hand on her cheek, a fierce look in his eyes. She could not look away, under his gaze her heart began to quicken but not out of fear. He ran his thumb over her lips. A shudder went down her spine. He placed his other hand on her waist and pulled her closer, his grasp firm. Their noses bumped. She inhaled deeply, before she could say anything Draco's lips brushed against hers. She felt herself blush. Then his mouth was on hers. She, as far as she knew, had never been kissed before. It was frantic and passionate, she responded to his every movement. One last kiss before they die? His other hand moved to the small of her back, pulling her closer. They only broke to breath. Her hands were in his hair begging for more.

Hermione woke with a start. She had never had a dream like that before. Sure she had dreams with Draco in them surrounded by chaos, but never that. She couldn't help but smile at her dream. She was sure Draco would never do that, especially with her. He was so standoffish, especially lately, and proud. She licked her lips, in her half asleep state she could almost taste him. Sitting up she shook away those thoughts. That was an odd, and impossible dream, the part about Draco anyway. Pushing those thoughts about Draco, and kissing his very kissable lips, she stood and changed her clothing. Brushed her hair and walked out into the kitchen for breakfast.

It was a normal Sunday morning, or as normal as it could get in a wizarding home. Draco was reading over the daily profit in the kitchen, Hermione sitting across from him reading another book about magic. Lupin staring through the blinds on the window at the street where there were darkly clothed death eaters watching, waiting like a predator to strike. Tonks fussing over her crying newborn trying to entertain and stop his cries with puffs of colorful smoke out of her wand, or changing her hair color or nose.

Hermione felt weird sitting across from Draco. He barely acknowledged her presence but every time he glanced at her she felt her face get hot, and she sunk in her chair. Though she could only expect that after the dream she had just had. She wondered why she had it. But before she got to far on that thought she felt her face flush, so she abandoned that line of thinking for a different time. Instead she focused on the other half of the dream. She looked over her book, it held little interest for her at that moment. She couldn't stop fiddling with her hands and in the pit of her stomach there was a feeling of foreboding. She accredited it to her dream that was more vivid than it usual. She herd a small pop from the direction of the window. Lupin was gone. She was sure that he had gone to another secret Order of the Phoenix meeting. Tonks huffed in frustration in the background.

Hermione picked at her breakfast and skimmed through her book. There was something off about today, besides, her dream. She looked around. Everything was as it should be, Draco was eating and glaring at the Daily profit, Lupin was gone, and Tonks was with Teddy she noticed after looking over a second time. "Draco?" She said timidly looking over at him.

"Himn?" he responded not looking up from his paper.

"Is it just me or does something feel off?"

He looked up at her, then looked around. "A little." he agreed. "Though its probably because of the gathering group of death eaters outside." he added, his tone harsh. Hermione nodded then tried to go back to her book. She didn't want to press him more considering she was still blushing. She ate the rest of her breakfast quickly and shut her book taking it with her to her room. Draco watched as she walked away. He knew what she was feeling. Ever since the house had started to be watched to this extent he knew that something was going to happen to disrupt the delicate balance of peace in the house. Not bothering to finish the rest of his breakfast he went up the stairs to his room. The day passed by without much of anything happening Lupin came back soaking wet because of the rain, then had a row with Tonks.

The fallowing day passed without much event.

And the next.

And the next.

Hermione continued to have dreams about the house going under attack, none about Draco, which she was grateful for. It made talking to him easier, the little that he did talk to her anyway. Though each time the dreams happened it became more and more real. It was starting to mess with her sleeping schedule, and with her head. She looked constantly tired, bags under her eyes forming. It even affected her apatite. It was on the fifth day when the feeling in Hermione's stomach had grown too large, she packed all of her clothes into a bag and kept them by her bedroom door. She didn't know it but Draco was doing the same thing. By the seventh day of her vivid horrific dreams she started bringing the bag around with her, and wearing the long black warm trench coat that was longer in the back than in the front, that Tonks had given to her. She even started to wear her her boots. She was surprised that no one had said anything to her about it yet. It was probably because everyone was on edge.

On the eighth day, it felt like there was something very, very wrong. It had been raining heavily for the past week or so. Hermione only ate a fast breakfast and the rest of the time she spent pacing up and down the living room brushing her hair out of her face constantly. Looking over what she could see of the house every now and then. Chewing on her fingernails. The house stayed still until around seven thirty just for dinner, which Hermione only picked at. There was something odd about today, though it was only minor as it happened every now and then. Lupin was not home yet. Tonks was worried that was clear, so dinner passed as a silent affair only interrupted by Teddy's babble. After Hermione was done eating she excused herself from the table and continued to pace. The hours ticked by. Eight o'clock. Nine o'clock. Ten o'clock. Eleven O'clock. Where was Lupin?

There was a commotion at the front door."RUN!" came a voice, Hermione immediately recognized it as Lupin's. The seriousness and the horror of the matter were clear in his voice. Her heart rate quickened. This was it.

Hermione ran into the hallway. "Whats going-" Before she could finish her sentence, there was a loud bang. She was aware that she was in the air and around her floor boards and pieces of the walls. She hit the ground hard sliding into something soft. She sat up. Her ears ringing. She blinked a few times, her vision blurred. She saw someone stand in front of her, a haze of brown robes, Lupin was grasping at a shadow that she knew was his arm. When her vision finally cleared she understood why. Sticking through his arm was the shrapnel of a large pipe. She gasped. Her ears still ringing. She looked around, there was water, rain dripping in from the hole that used to be half of the house. She wondered where Draco was. Lupin turned to her, his mouth moving. What ever he was saying sounded fuzzy, distorted distant. She felt a sharp pain go across her face and her head flung sideways. Lupin had slapped her. Her ears started ringing louder and then stopped the true horror of the situation coming to. Panicked Hermione stood, backing into the corner by the front door.

"RUN!" he screamed. His arm with the shrapnel hung in a weird almost dead way. She felt her stomach churn blood was pouring from the wound. There was a gash down his good arm, his clothes were ripped, and there was an unseen wound producing copious amounts of blood on his abdomen. Her eyes were wide and she looked up and then down then up back into his eyes she couldn't understand what he was saying. There was wood strewn across the floor as well as scorched picture frames and large hunks of the roof cealing and walls.

There was a green light, somewhere someone had screamed. Lupin went rigid, eyes wide mouth agape. Then he fell a dead heap in front of Hermione, the light gone from his eyes. She screamed, and looked in the direction from where the light came from. There was the crazed woman she recognized from her memory of Lucius Malfoy. She forced herself to move. She snatched the wand out of Lupin's still warm dead hand then ran. Up, up, up the stairs. There was another loud bang and she was knocked off her feet. She stood as fast as she could. There was a sharp sensation in her back but she kept running up the stairs. Somewhere in the chaos she wondered where Tonks and Teddy were and if they had gotten away safely. She didn't have enough time to think about that now. The one person whom she knew had saved her before, she had to find him. She ran through the halls. Not daring to scream. Something warm was dripping down her back. She didn't think about that.

Draco was standing in the hallway. He had enough time to look over the banister to see at least a dozen death eaters. He had rushed to his room, they didn't know he was there did they? He grabbed his bags and moved into the hallway. Despite the situation he stopped dead in his tracks. There was a part of him that wanted to stay and help fight. He herd a scream down stairs. As he stood deciding another throught crossed his mind, Hermione. He stood there for what must have been a minute when it literally hit him. As Hermione ran she hit something solid falling back she hit the floor. "Ouch." She said softly. He looked down at her. He reached down grabbing her by her wrists pulling her up on to her feet. There was a clear panic in her eyes. The girl had not a clue how to defend herself. This was the second time that he had been forced to choose between himself and her. He grimanced. Draco had to help her. He grasped her by her waist pulling her close to him then apperated.

They landed in a forest, the first one he had stayed in. He let go of Hermione. She looked pale. He looked her over wondering until he saw why there was a gash a cross her face but that wasn't bleeding nearly enough. He mutter a spell to close the wound. Just as the wound on her cheek closed he saw the true reason. Sticking all the way through her shoulder was a piece of the house. She fell to her side. She could feel it now the pulsating pain in her shoulder, the adrenaline was wearing off, searing hot pain. And blood as it dripped down her side, it was warm, wet, sticky even. Hermione's eyes closed. She couldn't move her arm. This somehow seemed similar to something that had happened before... Draco sat her up in his arms, just as her eyes closed. It was a piece of metal. Moving quickly he gently placed his hand on the jagged piece it moved slightly; he had to remove it before he could heal it. Her eyes flew open pain in her eyes. "No" She pleaded her voice hysterical. "Pleas don't." she begged him placing her hand that could move on his shirt collar bunching it up and pulling him closer so he could hear her better. Ignoring her, his grasp tightened. He looked her fiercely in the eye. There was fear there, he tired to look sincere.

"I need to Take it out before I can fix it." he said firmly.

"No, Draco don't!" Hermione begged.

"One."

"No! Please!"

"Two."

"Draco stop please!"

"Three." He was barely aware of how wet they were getting as the rain poured.

"NO NO NO NO!"

He pulled hard the sound it made was almost as bad as Hermione's scream of agony. He had herd her scream like that before when his father and aunt went after her, but he never though that he would be the reason why she made such a sound. He cringed. She was crying like a child now trying to grasp onto her shoulder and move away from him. He moved her hand looking at the wound. He could see through her shoulder. Draco had never tried to heal a wound this deep before. His brow furrowed in concentration, he would have to be very careful, otherwise he'd likely harm her and in turn kill her. He didn't want her death on his hands. He looked her over, Hermione was going into shock. Without another moment he took in a deep breath and concentrated. He said the spell firmly, and gripped his wand harder than he ever had before. The wound was mending itself. He was pleased with himself. It healed until the was a thick red line, too much movement and the wound would open again at start to bleed. He laid Hermione down gently the rain falling heavily around them.

He waved his wand after he threw the tent from one of his two bags in a heap on the ground. Instantly the tent sprung up around them. He knelt beside her, just now realizing they were soaked he muttered another spell drying them off. Hermione was barely conscious when he picked her up and placed her in the only bed he had. He noticed she had a wand in her grasp. He took it and placed it on the bedside table beside her head. He was okay with sleeping on a couch, which was odd. He walked outside and put up a barrier around them, he was an expert at this now. He walked into the other part of the tent and laid down on the couch. Where the hiss of his old self crept up on him.

He contemplated leaving Hermione out in the rain, since she had a wand now. Or turning her into the death eaters he had just run from. That would certainly clear his name, and allow him back into their ranks. He shook his head, that wasn't who he was anymore. At least not all of it. He took a deep breath. As he winded down from the situation that had just occurred he felt a pang of anger. Twice now his peace had been interrupted by Voldemort's attack dogs; and twice now he ended up with Hermione. Was peace so much to ask for? Then he felt naïve for wondering such a question. Of course it was. It was too much for anyone to ask for in times of war. Angrily he rolled over on to his side and closed his eyes. As much as he tried, Draco couldn't feel contempt for Hermione, and he found that he didn't want to.


	6. The Plan

Chapter Six: The Plan

(Author's note I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters.)

Tonks stood horrified as she watched from the kitchen, unsure of what to do, Lupin was grasping his arm, screaming at Hermione to run. She felt panic as she held the screaming baby in her arms. She had seen them coming through the window. They had managed to doge the blast by ducking into the kitchen. It was then in that moment that she finally realized it; it was clear that she could not be both a fighter and a mother at the same time, especially if you were a mother to a newborn. She felt herself being pulled. The man she loved was injured bleeding and defending her friend, but the baby in her arms was far to fragile to be taken into battle that was unfolding with such risk. They were out numbered. She looked down at Teddy. "Shush now darling." she whispered. She felt tears fall from her panicked eyes. Tonks looked back up at Remus only in time for her to see a green light soar through the air and hear Bellatrix's voice scream all at the same time. "REMUS!" she screamed just in time for his form to fall in a heap on the ground. Bellatrix's laugh sounded in victory.

"The werewolf is dead, the werewolf is dead!" Bellatrix sang. Tonks had to act. Just as she made her decision she watched Hermione run up the stairs. Teddy the only link she had left in the world to her now dead husband was her one and only priority. Hermione would likely find Draco and manage to escape; and even if she didn't Tonks couldn't worry about her now. The tears were falling freely from her eyes now, Remus, her love, her world... She knelt and wrapped herself around her baby. "FIND HER, FIND HER AND THE PUP!" she herd Bellatrix scream.

"Its okay Teddy." She whispered frantically then with one last look at Remus's dead form she apperated. She landed just feet outside the barrier of the safe house where she knew her parents to be. With shaking sobs she walked slowly into the barrier. To be a mother was to give up all else for your child. She had learned her lesson, harshly. "Remus... oh god." she kept saying to herself. Teddy's cries stopped and he looked curiously up at his mother touching her chin. She looked down at her son. "I love you."

* * *

Draco awoke with a start falling off of his couch onto the floor. "Oof." This was third night that Hermione's blood curdling scream had filled the tent and woke him at an obscene hour in the morning. He grumbled. He knew that she screamed in her sleep and that she would remember things but never did he have to be in the same vicinity as her when she did scream. It drove him crazy that he was the only one who could hear the true terror of the situation. He rested his elbow on the short coffee table that was in front of his couch. He sat rubbing his side then ran his fingers through his hair. He sighed. Hermione was going to be the death of him. Angrily he muttered to himself under his breath. He felt like he was alone again, only this time he didn't have an owl screeching desperately at him. Instead he had Hermione, who had gone practically catatonic.

He placed his head in his hand resting on the coffee table and allowed himself to think. He had wanted to reach out to her to help her, return to the way he felt about her at the safe house, but couldn't bring himself to. Every time he got close to even talking to her he would feel a surge of Malfoy pride go through his veins, and always, he would turn away a cold look in his eyes. Changing had been harder than he thought. His old ideals that had been drilled into his head since birth were harder to forget than he predicted. He could barely remember comforting her three weeks ago and wanting to cry at the moment. It was a wonder that he hadn't turned her out on her own. The small changed part of himself that he managed to hold on to would not allow it. It was the early hours in the morning that he even managed to think about Hermione as a person, when he was barely awake and half dreaming. The small part of him wished that he could remain half dreaming forever. He was going in circles on how he felt about the girl, and life in general. He could honestly say that for the first time in his life that he was utterly confused. He found it odd that he changed more when he was by himself, though he somewhat expected that especially now when he was with someone that he had thought so low of before for so long. His brow furrowed He blinked trying to forget the thought.

In any case changed, or not, Hermione's screaming was becoming a problem, one that desperately needed to be fixed. He stared blankly at the tent wall. Draco didn't have a bloody clue on how to fix her. She was a right mental case. She, other than to wash go to the bathroom and eat didn't get out of bed. He didn't catch why she had begun to act to strange. Though from what could gather about her screaming and the few words she had muttered from the morning after the attack on the house, it was something to do with what had happened the night they had escaped. His mind wandered for a moment to the three freckles above her lip, a smirk crossed his features, he did like those. He was soon brought out of that thought though. He winced as she screamed out again. "I'M SORRY!" he heard her scream for the millionth time. Draco closed his eyes. For the thousandth time the thought of obviating her completely, crossed his mind. It would be so simple, one easy incantation and her screaming would be done for.

"No." he muttered. As much as her screaming irked him, he couldn't do that to her. Even the likes of a know it all twit had the right to memories. He wasn't getting rid of her and he wasn't ridding her of her memories. He exhaled deeply. Then what should he do? He felt his expression soften. Of course that would be the answer. He sighed opening his eyes. This would require some tact.

* * *

Ginny was up, again, before her two companions. She was woken by something odd, the sound of a woman's voice. That was peculiar and very suspicious. Her first thought was the crazy woman Bellatrix Lestrange. But upon further listening she determined that to be false. She was THE only woman in the area, she knew that when the three of them had come to the forest the previous day, they were more cautious now after a run in with some death eaters three days ago. Ginny would apperate first with the invisibility cloak to scout out the area for any danger, then she would apperate back and bring the other two plus all of their supplies with her. She listened again, "Ron!" it whispered. The voice sounded familiar like someone from the order. "Ron! Are you there? Ron?" it whispered. The voice almost sounded like... Tonks? She listened harder. "For goodness sakes Ron, just answer." It was Tonks alright. Ginny grabbed her coat and walked just outside the tent. There was frost on the ground, it was cold on her bare feet. There was a silver wispy werewolf standing outside the entrance. This must have been Tonks patronus.

"Hello there Tonks." She answered softly.

The wolf looked at her for a moment before it spoke again. "Wotcher Harry, Ron, it's me Tonks. Look, if you reply don't send Harry's patronus. The Death Eaters are on the look out for it. I escaped narrowly weeks ago from a brutal attack." The patronus paused looking almost sad. "Reply back, if you can." the Patronus disappeared in thin whips of silver. They would reply, Ginny would send her patronus as it was a horse and likely would not be recognized or cared about, but not now. For risk of the area being watched Ginny would reply to Tonks tomorrow, when their location would be different. With a shiver She retreated into the warmth of tent and began to prepare breakfast. She wondered how bad the attack Tonks had been through, and if Lupin was alright. She sighed rubbing her hands together for warmth.

Harry arose first that morning for once. He stood slowly and silently. Ron was still asleep, that was odd. He thought on that for a moment. He walked very slowly into the kitchen not wanting to wake Ron. Ginny as always was standing in the kitchen making breakfast for the three of them. He smiled since she had her back to him, ever since she had arrived to help them he desperately wanted to hold her in his arms, to tell her how much she meant to him. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She jumped slightly at his warm touch then she realized who it was. "Good morning Harry." She said softly, a smile gracing her features. She leaned into him resting her head on his shoulder. She could understand why they never did this around Ron, so she savored the few moments that they got alone together. She closed her eyes and inhaled Harry's scent.

"You know you mean the world to me right?" He muttered into her ear. His grasp tightened on her waist as he pulled her close. She nodded against him.

"And you to me." she replied her voice almost a whisper. She freed herself from his grasp and turned around. Ginny smiled at him before she kissed him soundly on the lips, losing herself in her pent up passion for Harry.

* * *

'Stupid... selfish... thoughtless... boy...' Lucius thought over and over. He was huddled on the floor in the corner, in the fetal position on his side. His teeth chattered. His hair was falling out. His skin was almost transparent. He was dirty. He was grimy. His bones threatened to protrude from his skin. He was crazy. He could feel it festering in his blood, infesting every part of his being. It was both horrifying and wonderful, insanity. He could understand his sister-in-law better now. Like Bellatrix, he too had one purpose, on duty, one right. His allegiance was to no one but himself. And after he killed his son and his revenge was fulfilled maybe, just perhaps, he would return to his dark lord. But that was all secondary.

He smiled his lip cracking and starting to bleed, though that did not matter nothing but escaping mattered. Lucius had figured a way out. It would be risky, and surely had been tried before; but it was the only way the he saw out, he smiled wider, his teeth covered in layers of plaque. The only reason why it would work? The prison guards expected him to try to escape. They were right, but all of them were wrong on how he would do it. Gone was his Malfoy pride he was willing to do anything, but again, the guards didn't know that. He would resort to _any_ means necessary to get out. Nothing was too low for him anymore. He cupped his hands and blew into them as the dementors came closer. It was usually in times such as these when Lucius had learned to sleep, not this time however. 'Phase one.' he thought and stood up. There was a prison guard with the dementors who had a stack of trays, it was dinner time. He dropped his smile and licked the blood that was coming out of his bottom lip.

'Remember Lucius. Remember.' He thought. Concentrating on his revenge he braced himself for the dementors, who floated around breathing heavily as the guard served the trays. "Ready." he muttered softly. He listened as the tray was slid under the door at the first cell in the block, then the second, and third, fourth. Lucius was the sixth. He clenched and unclenched his fists. "Come on." he breathed.

"Stay back." the guard grunted at him. Lucius backed himself fully into the wall. The guard paused looking him over. "Never thought I'd have the honor of serving a Malfoy." he said quite sarcastically then chucked at his own joke. The words hardly even touched him; Lucius was a man on a mission. He rapped his fingernails lightly on the wall behind him. The guard bent over sliding the tray under the bars. Lucius sprung into action then. He flung himself at the guard and wrapped his arm around his neck and squeezed. The remaining two trays thumped to the ground with a loud clank.

"You served me well." Lucius hissed. "Give me your wand. Quickly." he demanded.

"You'll only kill me." The guard laughed.

"You'll die either way, now hand me your wand." Lucius smiled. His lip bleeding more staining his bottom teeth red.

"No." The guard smiled defiantly.

"The question is, would you rather die by wand, it would be quick and painless. Or, suffer suffocation and choking on your own tongue, its your choice. I hear the second option is simply horrible. I know I would _love_ to watch you suffer." He laced his words with as much malice as he could conjure, which was all he was anymore. He glanced casually down at his knuckles, his front teeth red with blood. Lucius in that moment was an ominous sight.

The dementors were still on the other end of the block. The guard merely nodded and slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out his wand and surrendered it over to the mad blond man, fear in his eyes. He knew Lucius Malfoy to be a ruthless harsh uncaring man. Lucius let the man go. "Stand up." he commanded at holding the man at wand point. The guard stood very fast. The dementors didn't even notice their scuffle. "Now open this door and let me out." The man nodded and fumbled with his keys until he found the right one and unlocked the heavy bared door. Lucius stepped out "On your knees good sir." Lucius commanded. The guard fallowed command. Lucius being the man that he was reached down with both hands and placed them on either side of the mans head he lowered himself so that he was a just an inch away from the mans face. "I'm going to break your neck, but only mostly. Enjoy your slow death." He twisted hard hearing several loud cracks, and feeling them under his hands. The man fell to the ground making a strange kind of raspy gargling sound all the while grasping desperately at his throat. Lucius thought fondly about torturing Draco. "Expecto Patronum." A silver cobra erupted from his wand tip and he smiled as it hissed down the corridor chasing all of the dementors in its wake. He fallowed the animal at almost a skip.

"I got out of my cell!" he sang over and over to the prisoners who were still behind their bars. He was overcome with pure, untainted, sweet and vicious delight. His plan was going so well, though he needed to cause more of a commotion, though not one to warrant his death. He grimaced, how to do that? It was then that the prisoners began to yell at him. Lucius felt warm and energized, he began to whistle to himself. He was hit with another dose of delight since his commotion problem was solved without him even having to think. As he passed by all of the cells the prisoners screamed at him, spit at him, cheered him on, but he didn't care enough to listen. He just smiled and waved at them all, the ones that he did recognize he bowed to them waving his hand, or even curtseyed. He was having a ball.

His silver cobra slithered happily around his feet, warming him. Now where were those pesky guards? The first half of his plan was working wonderfully. He looked around, The prisoners were screaming, he was warm and armed with a wand, perfection. Had he been the same kind of Malfoy, filled with pride and higher expectations of himself, he perhaps would have thought about escaping for real, but now fully insane he knew his odds of achieving that, they were not good, not good at all. To actually try that, was _beyond_ silly. The prison was, after all, on an island surrounded by vicious ocean and he was physically worn down. Instead, he just needed to make it look like he was making a run for it. "Guards! Guards!" he cried out, laughing as he did it. "I've escaped!" he threw a curse at the wall making int crumble slightly. 'BANG, BANG BANG'. He crumbled more of the walls down, though he had careful not to let any other prisoners free.

As he approached the stairs leading up to higher levels, he heard them, panicked footsteps of many guards. He stopped in the middles of the hallway, his cobra hissed menacingly in the direction of the approaching guards Lucius put on the best and most formidable smile that he could muster his lip cracking open again. "COME AND GET ME BOYS!" Lucius growled at the crowd of guards that entered the corridor. He threw a curse at them, knocking many of them over, then a protection charm around him. 'Don't kill them Lucius.' he reminded himself. 'We don't want the dementors kiss now do we? No we don't.' he thought just as he dodged a falling part of the ceasing.

He didn't even remember all of the curses that he had thrown at them, but he knew that some of them were injured and that his left arm hung limp at his side. None of that mattered however, all that mattered was getting to Draco. He looked up, there was a large section of the ceiling that was cracking, if he could just shake it enough, maybe, just maybe would this work. He looked back at the group of guards just in time for him to doge a curse. He watched as it soared through the air it hit just inches from where he had been standing, the section of wall cracked up close to the section of ceiling. Lucius crawled quickly so that he would be under it. He threw a few more curses toward the guards, when unexpectedly he was hit, then covered by falling rubble.

"I'm hurt." he whispered from beneath the pile. His plan, had worked and was fulfilled to absolute perfection. Despite the intense pain he was in and the sharp jagged rock covering his body he managed to chuckle once then he was swept into unconsciousness.


	7. Silver Lining Part One

Chapter Seven: Silver Lining Part One

(Author's note I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters.)

For once Harry was dreaming of something pleasant, Voldemort was not on his mind and blissfully he was dreaming of Ginny. Her soft beautiful red hair, her warm tender eyes, the way her mouth curved when she smiled, the beautiful sound of her laugh. It was a glorious dream. He was disappointed when it all started to fade away. "So that's how it is then?" Harry opened his eyes to the sound of Ron's angry voice and a slight kick to the back. He couldn't understand why he sounded so upset, and especially why he kicked him. He was grabbing for his glasses when he realized there was something warm and delicious smelling in his arms. He put on his glasses and looked to the source of the warmth, Ginny's slightly moving form was beside him. She was curled up her head in his chest. They must have fallen asleep with one another while watching outside. Ginny groaned not wanting to be woken up just yet and burrowed deeper into Harry's chest. He couldn't help but smile, Ron however scowled more.

"Shu-up Ron." Came her sleepy voice.

"No I will not shut up Ginny." Ron spat back at her.

Ginny turned to look at him then sat up fire in her eyes. "Whats your problem?" She demanded folding her arms across her chest. Harry fully woken up also sat up behind her. He knew that they shouldn't have been caught like that. It was hard enough on Ron losing Hermione, he didn't have to make it worse by sneaking around with Ginny. Harry stared guiltily at the ground.

Ron was furious now. Had she really had the nerve to ask him what was wrong? She knew bloody well what was wrong with him. "Ginny, you sure as hell know what it wrong, don't act like I don't know, I see you two, hear you two sneaking around behind my back." He hissed.

Ginny hardly looked phased. She stood her full height and looked angrily into the eyes of her brother. "Oh yeah? Do you?" She asked him, there was a dangerous Molly Weasley-like edge to her tone. She narrowed her eyes scrutinizing him, his every move, every breath.

Ron for a moment was at a loss for words, like he always was when Ginny took this tone with him, it usually meant a very powerful emotion evoking storm was coming. Then she narrowed her eyes, he gulped but continued the argument. "Yeah, I'm not bloody slow." his voice was notably softer than before.

"Well congratulations on noticing Ronald. You deserve a bloody prize. Yes, brother, I am secretly sneaking kisses and hugs from Harry behind your back. Its not like I'm shagging him you idiot. So Ron, may I ask you why that is wrong?" Harry by now was standing a short distance from the two as Ginny walked the few steps between Ron and herself so that there was mere inches between them. "Himn?" she gently shoved against his chest looking him in the eye.

Ron looked away from her burning brown eyes, as she gave him the same piercing look that their mother did when angry. Truthfully he didn't really have a reason, at least one that wasn't selfish. Hermione was gone, there was nothing he could do about that. Harry hadn't tried to stop him and Hermione while she was still here, it wasn't fair for him to ask Harry to stop and he knew it. "Its..." he began.

"Its what Ron?" Ginny demanded her voice softer, knowing that she had hit what she wanted to.

"Its not fair." He rose his voice this time looking her dead in the eye.

"Oh, I see." Ginny said fully angry now. "All I bloody want it to be able to be hugged by Harry, and yes Ronald kiss him every now and then. I realize it is hard for you, really I do which is why we never act like we like each other around you, but god damn it, I love him." Harry rose he head up and smiled, he was afraid to tell Ginny, but now he was surprised, pleasantly so, was that she felt the same way. "Hermione wouldn't want you to be so sad all the time, she would want you to be helping Harry as much as you could." Her voice was softer now. "This isn't about me and Harry is it? You miss her."

"Well." Ron looked uncomfortable, he hated how she was always right, he honestly was happy that they were happy. He went silent and looked down at the ground, he blinked away the tears that he refused to let fall.

"Ron?" Ginny asked.

"Never mind." He looked down at the ground defeated. She was right, they were doing their best to not make him feel awkward, and he never did, he just missed Hermione. He had once upon a time told Harry that he was okay with him and Ginny being together, he couldn't go back on it now. "Just don't get all mushy around me."

Ginny smiled weakly at him. "I wasn't planning on it." She wrapped her arms around Ron's neck and pulled him into a comforting hug, she desperately wanted him to get over Hermione; though there was a larger part of her that she couldn't control that wanted simply to be able to be close to Harry. That was all she wanted from Ron, she didn't want him to hurt, she just wanted to be able to be held. She released her brother and looked over at Harry. Now was not the time to be close, now was the time to send word to Tonks. "We should contact Tonks." Both of the boys nodded eager to gain the news of the outside world. Ginny thought of her happiest memory and concentrated hard. "Expecto Patronum." She said firmly and a silvery wispy horse came slowly from her wand tip. "What should I say?" Ginny asked holding her concentration.

"Tell Tonks that we are well, that you are with us." Harry hesitated for a moment, "And tell her Hermione is gone. Ask her how Lupin is, and whats going on, you know? Something like that."

Ginny nodded then began to speak to her patronus. "Hey Tonks, its me Ginny. We're fine, well most of us are. We lost Hermione to an attack weeks ago..." Ginny paused looking over to Ron who was attempting to look stone faced. "How are Lupin and you? And generally how is the outside? Also If you can tell Mum that we're okay." Ginny added on the last part as her face turned up in the papers just days ago. Her patronus nodded as if in acknowledgment then galloped off into the woods. Ginny walked into the tent and began to prepare breakfast while they waited for a response. Harry and Ron stayed outside, she presumed to talk about the events of this morning. Ginny felt for her brother but he was not helping their mission at all by moping over Hermione, he needed to get his head back in the game, and all of them, including Ron knew it. War was not the time to become sentimental. It was a little while after that the soft footfalls of the boys announced their entrance into the tent for breakfast. Ron stayed just outside the tent entrance.

Harry smiled fully at her. He walked up to her and wrapped his right arm around her waist pulling her so that their faces were very close. "What did you say about me earlier?"

Ginny felt herself blush she knew exact;y what he meant. "I said." Her voice was soft. She placed her arms loosely around Harry's neck. "That, I love you." she gazed happily into his green eyes. His lips were on hers. He kissed her passionately, she felt her heart skip a beat, he had kissed her before, but never ever like this. When he pulled away she felt light headed, her face was flushed. "I guess that means you love me too." Ginny laughed and so did Harry.

"Yes I do." he responded. They looked happily at each other for a few moments.

"Oh get a room." Ron grumbled sarcastically and offered them a small and reluctant grin.

An hour passed before they herd any voice from outside. "Ginny?" Came Tonks whispered voice. The three of them walked quickly outside. There hunched over in front of them was the wispy werewolf. Sensing their presence it spoke hurriedly. "That's where you went off to Ginny, your mother's worried sick about you. She wants me to tell you to go back home. I know you wont but I'm just passing the message along. We were attacked five days ago." There was a very long pause before the wolf spoke again. "Remus died." The three looked at each other shocked, he couldn't be dead, could he? Their attention was again drawn back to the wolf by a familiar name. "As for Hermione, I saw her, five days ago. She was with us, she had lost her memory, though from what I could gather Draco, he saved her from an attack. He was with us too. Until five days ago." Harry and Ginny looked to Ron, who was smiling like a fool. "There's one more thing. Harry, Remus and I, we had a baby, his name is Teddy, we wanted you to be the Godfather. OH! I have to go. Bye Harry, Ron, Ginny. Stay safe."

Before anyone spoke they all shared several minutes of silence, taking in the news. Remus was dead, and Hermione, she was alive? Ron was the first to speak."Congrats mate." Ron smiled patting Harry firmly on the back. Though Lupin was dead, they all knew that their time could not be wasted dwelling on it. There were more important things to worry about, Horcruxs to be exact.

"Thanks." Harry smiled, godfather to one of his most respected mentor's child. For the moment the joy of the situation overshadowed the loss of Remus.

"That's great Harry." Ginny smiled at him.

Then it Hit Harry."Wait, does that mean Hermione is somewhere out there with, iMalfoy/i?" Harry was the first to deduce. Ron's smile dropped fully off his face. If she was somewhere out there with him, that couldn't be very good. There was no telling what he might do to her. All of them were thinking about their friend whom they were hoping, was okay, least of all alive.

"I hope not." Ginny added.

"Still," Ron began trying desperately to see the brighter side of things. "there is a chance Hermione's alive." Ron stated and once again smiled like a fool. A chance all of them knew, in hell.

* * *

Draco arose slowly that morning to silence. After five days, Hermione's screaming had finally gone as far as to require a silencing charm around her while she slept. He had been dreading what he had finally decided what to do. Draco never had many people skills, skills on how to act above everyone else yes, but when it came down to a human level, no, he didn't have those skills. He wasn't quite sure what to say to Hermione or what she needed. He would have comforted her the same way that he did at the safe house, though, he didn't much care for touching people; his life never required much of it before. True that he had girlfriends and such, but even then touching was at a minimum for him. In the past few days Draco had managed to squelch some of his pride and return, but only slightly to the way he was when it was just him and his disruptive bird staying in the tent.

He felt sorry for the girl, what ever she was going through was harsher than anyone would have to put up with. He stood walking quietly into the kitchen, not that he needed to be quiet, no amount of shaking or screaming ever managed to wake the girl, he knew, he tried. Draco yawned closing his eyes when he flipped on the light switch to his right. "Oi! Granger!" he screamed as he opened them. He was horrified at the sight before him. Hermione sat cross legged on the floor, crying softly, small pools of blood around her, two large gashes down both of her arms, in her right hand she had a knife. She looked up at him, the countless hours of sleep she had lost evident on her face, dark circles surrounded her eyes. She backed away from him until she hit the white cabinet behind her, the blood that had collected on the tarp floor smearing behind her as she went.

A sudden surge of guilt swept over him. If he had helped her sooner, this, may not have happened. His expression softened, as he walked slowly toward her. When he was less than half a foot from her he lowered himself next to her until he sat down in front of her. "Merlin..." he tried to hide the eminent shock from his voice. She cried harder. He reached very slowly toward the knife she clutched tightly in her small bloody hand. "I need you to give me that." he said softly not taking his eyes off her face. She dropped it, the blade making a dull thud as it hit the greenish tarp, just before his hand had reached it. For a moment they sat in silence staring at each other. He looked down, and gently tossed the bloody knife away from them until it hit the other side of the cabinets. Her cries rose to a gentle sob.

Draco reached out once more and grasped her right wrist in his hand, he ignored the red warm liquid as it dripped onto his fingers as well as the smell, with his other hand he reached into his pocket to retrieve his wand. "Merlin Granger..." he whispered as he ran the tip of his wand just above her arm healing the semi deep wound until there was a barely visible scar running down the length of her forearm, then he did the same to her left. He looked to the white floor of the kitchen, she had lost a lot of blood. She slumped against the cabinet behind her her face falling into her hands. Gently he pulled her forward and cradled her small form against him. Draco stood with the crying girl in his arms and walked with her into the living room where he placed her on the couch gently then threw the blanket that he had been using over her. He turned away and without a word started a fire in the fire pit with the wave of his wand. "I'll be right back, don't do anything else stupid." he commanded softly. Through her somewhat decreased cries she nodded.

Draco hesitated for a moment not wanting to leave her alone before he turned and walked fast into the kitchen. Draco rummaged through the cabinets above the sink for a cauldron, he needed to make her a potion that would aid in her body's replenishing of blood. Once he had all of the ingredients he needed laid out on the counter he set to work. While the gelatinous liquid brewed he muttered a cleaning spell to rid the kitchen of blood then picked up the still bloody knife and dropped it into the sink. He took a moment between stirs to look into the living room to make sure Hermione had not moved, she hadn't. When the potion was done he conjured himself a cup of tea then poured the darkly colored thick potion into a glass for Hermione. He walked into the living room; Hermione had stopped crying for the most part, head rested against the back of the couch hands laid out in front of her, specks of dried or drying blood on her fingers. He sighed and walked toward her.

Her eyes wandered up to him almost lazily. "You need to drink this." He stated holding out the glass for her. She looked at the glass suspiciously for a moment. "Oh come on Granger." he said rolling his eyes at her. She took the cup shakily in her hand and tipped the glass into her mouth. This was the second time within the past week he had to make her drink the nasty tasting potion, and she didn't seem to like it any better. Draco sat across from her in the arm chair that was close to the fire. "Talk, I'm listening." he stated leaning back into the comfortable chair. She looked over at him uncertainly, her expression almost scared. Draco saw this and tried very hard to keep his expression soft. "I promise, I won't judge you..." his voice trailed off as he looked down at his forearm where he knew the dark mark to be, he had done more than enough bad to last him his lifetime, he couldn't begin to judge what she apparently had done. He looked back up at Hermione, she was downing the rest of the potion in her glass. She leaned forward and placed the cup on the coffee table. She fiddle nervously with her hands. She didn't know what to say, what not to say.

She sat up straighter though did not turn her body toward Draco. Hermione didn't want to look him in the eye, especially of he was judging her. She took in a sharp breath before she began. Draco leaned forward a few inches but remained patient, he couldn't push her on this. "Lupin..." she croaked. "He's dead." Draco watched as she risked a glance at him, he made a point to keep his expression passive. "It's my fault."

He pondered for a moment in the silence that fallowed her six worded statement. "How?" he asked curiously, she was probably overacting on her part in the werewolf's death. She seemed to over react a lot.

"I-" she looked down at her lap, the guilt creeping up on her again like a dark shadow. "I, didn't-" her voice broke. Hermione took in several breath's before she decided to speak again. "I didn't move, and, his arm, the explosion, Bellatrix, oh god!" she spat entirely too fast. She tilted her head down, the light of the fire highlighting the angles of her face. Her breathing was shaky now.

Draco inhaled deeply, she was once again silent, and this time she was staring shocked in the direction of the arm rest. "Granger?" He asked slowly, she didn't move. " Say it again but slowly." he suggested.

"Lupin, he was trying to get me to move. I- I couldn't. My legs, they, they just wouldn't move." She hugged her knees to her chest. "He kept screaming at me to run." She tilted her head so she was looking at blankly at Draco. He listened his attention never faltering. " He shook me, and even slapped me. I couldn't think, or even really see. Then, Bellatrix came up behind him, I saw a green light, then, he fell..." Hermione inhaled sharply. "That's when I finally ran... If I had moved a few seconds earlier maybe he could have... or I would have..." she paused the silence substantially more tense.

"Surely-" Draco began but was cut off by Hermione.

"He's dead now." Draco readjusted slightly though he did not draw his gaze away from her. "What about Teddy? And Tonks? I've robbed him of his life with them, he will never see his son smile up at him on his eleventh birthday, or when he receives his letter from Hogwarts. He'll never get to see Tonks on their anniversary, he'll never know of his grand children... And Tonks and Teddy? I've robbed them of just as much. Teddy will never know his father. Tonks lost Her husband, her soul mate... I just can't believe he's gone. I can't believe that he's... its all my fault... It should have been me. I should be the one who's dead." She looked down at her hands. "I just, I was looking for a glass for water. Then I saw it, I don't even know how I opened the... then I saw the knife. I thought... then there was blood. I don't know why I did it, it was impulse. It felt good, at the time... I don't know what came over me." she turned her head toward him but her eyes lingered heavily on her hands. "It was my fault."

Draco looked away from her and thought for a moment very carefully about his words to her. If he said the wrong thing, he would have more incidents like this to look forward to. That was something he knew, neither of them could handle for long, eventually she would harm herself to the point where he couldn't save her from death. He did not much lament the loss of Lupin from this world, and he didn't know much about the werewolf, and he had no idea what he was doing now. He looked down at his tea, he rose the glass to his lips and practically chugged the rest of the hot liquid down his throat. He placed the cup down on the coffee table then looked back to Hermione. She was watching him. That startled him slightly, but he didn't let it show. "Look Granger,"

"Hermione." She corrected.

"What?" He looked at her puzzled.

"My name is Hermione." Her facial expression did not change.

He looked confused at her for a moment, she had never protested him calling her by her last name before, but this was a delicate situation. "Hermione." he agreed. "I honestly didn't know much about Lupin." he began, she looked down blinking her eyes a few times, they looked glassy, he assumed blinking away tears. He wasn't doing this right. He thought harder about his words. Draco stood and walked the small distance between the chair he was sitting in, to the couch, he sat down on the opposite end of the couch where Hermione was and looked back at her. She was still watching him, waiting for the words Draco didn't know if he had but knew he had to produce. "Lupin, was a very brave man. He was a great teacher, and friend." Her expression lightened minutely.

He paused, though he was admitting these things he didn't know if he believed himself, completely, however, that was not important right now. "The little that I know of Lupin was, that to his friends and family, those who he loved, he was a great man." Hermione's lips turned up in the slightest of smiles. "The fact that he stayed with you as long as he could tells me that he cared about you Hermione, as great a man as Lupin was I know, I know," Draco paused to emphasize the meaning. "he wouldn't have blamed you." Hermione chewed momentarily on her bottom lip and looked away from Draco. "He was doing what he knew best, being there for someone who needed him. He wouldn't have had it any other way. He wanted one thing in that moment that night Hermione." She looked back at him meeting his gaze. "He wanted you to live."

Draco let his words hang in the air for a moment, their eyes still connected. He couldn't actually believe all of what came out of his mouth, it sounded so good, and what was weird, it was that most of what he said was what he knew to be true. He looked away standing and walking toward the kitchen. "Draco, wait." came Hermione's voice.

He stopped and turned toward her. "Yes, Hermione?"

"Th-thank you." She smiled up at him for the first time in a long while. "Again."

"Anytime." it was odd but he found that her smile lit up her entire face, it was nice to see the old Hermione again. For the fist time Draco felt the corners of his mouth turn up not it a smirk but a genuine smile, and, he was offering it to Hermione Granger.


	8. Silver Lining Part Two

Chapter Eight: Silver Lining Part Two

(Author's note I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters.)

The fallowing two and a half weeks passed quite peacefully. Hermione slept restlessly, but silently. It was taking her some time to return to her old self, what Draco said comforted her massively, she felt a lot better, but she still felt a large amount of guilt. She was learning to forgive herself, and that was the important thing. Draco had finally broken through his pride, somewhat, he mainly felt bad that he could have prevented Hermione hurting herself like she did. He knew deep down that he could have helped her much sooner. He talked to her, and helped her more with spells, and he had decided to teach her to defend herself, there were many snatchers in the woods these days; if she was ever caught on the outside of the protective spells he put up she would have at least a fighting chance.

Hermione was having the same dream she had been having for the past three weeks. She could see them, every night she relived watching the light go out from Lupin's eyes. She couldn't ever forget it, the change was so profound, instant, unstoppable. She remembered the frantic tone of his words as he yelled at her to run, the way the fabric on his arm darkened with blood, and how his arm hung disturbingly limp at his side. Somewhere in the chaos, she could swear she her Tonks screaming his name... She was only a girl of seventeen, no one her age should ever have to see someone die... She sat up her own eyes flying open. She had managed to wake herself again, right before when she would usually scream. She was covered in a cold and clammy sweat, she looked around frantically, as always the room was empty, she pulled her knees into her chest. "I'm sorry." she whispered. There was no way that she was going to get back to sleep now, she never did. She grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around herself she swung her legs over the side of the bed.

Hermione walked very quietly into the adjacent living room, where she made sure that Draco was still sleeping. Draco was curled up in his blanket sleeping soundly. She leaned against the wooden tent support. Spending so much time with someone heightened ones senses of that someone, Hermione hadn't decided if this extra sense about Draco was a good thing. She chewed softly on her bottom lip. Draco had been a great deal more helpful since her 'incident' in the kitchen, she was grateful for that. He was a great teacher, and when he wanted to be, a great friend. She let out a sigh, Hermione had developed a certain interest in Draco... She couldn't call it a crush, and couldn't call it loathing. It was odd really, but in the end she accredited all of it to the fact that she was incredibly grateful to him for all that he had done for her. Hermione thought for a moment, though that didn't account for her losing her wits around him and how her face got hot when he told her she had done well on something he taught her. She rolled her eyes and pushed that thought aside. It wasn't important, they were at war, and that mattered more than her trivial problems, staying alive was the true issue.

Hermione turned around and walked quietly back the way she had come and then out the tent flaps into the cold morning air. Her feet were bare, so she could feel every dead leaf crunch loudly under her, and every drop of cold dew. She tilted her head up as she came to a stop and closed her eyes taking in a deep breath she listened. There was the beginning of a sunrise to her left and she could feel the gentle warmth on her cheek. To her right there was a gentle rustling of what she could imagine could have been a rabbit. The birds were beginning to wake up, she listened calmly to their songs of morning. As the sun rose she continued to just stand in silence and listen to the brilliant sounds of woods as they woke up. There was something very magical about it all. To her right there was a crack of what was probably a twig. Her eyes snapped open. She looked to her right, there standing not ten feet from her was a girl.

The mystery young woman was slender, about her height and had fiery red hair that looked disturbingly familiar. Hermione couldn't help but study this girl everything about her, even the way she walked reminded her of someone that she once knew. Hermione walked slowly toward the edge of the barrier so that she could get a closer look. The red haired young woman had turned and had her back to Hermione. Who was she? There was another sound to her left this time. Hermione gazed quickly over to see what the reason for the sound was. There was a man, several men who were sneaking pace by pace closer to the young girl. "Snatchers." Hermione whispered. The girl hadn't herd the sound and was helplessly being snuck up on. Hermione panicking didn't know what to do, she couldn't step out of the barrier, she wouldn't have any way of finding Draco again. Draco was the only person she knew she could trust.

The solution presented itself when she stepped on a small jagged rock; Hermione grabbed at it quickly then threw it through the one way barrier at the girl's back. The girl lurched turning around only to see the men approaching her. She looked at them terrified for a moment and then bolted in the opposite direction with surprising speed, seconds after the snatchers pursued. Hermione looked on anxiously in the direction that the girl had run, she could only hope she bought the girl some time. Hermione walked back toward the place she had been standing in prior. Hermione then turned in the direction of the sun rise and continued to watch it trying to take her mind of what she saw; but at the same time trying to figure out where she had seen the red headed girl before. She couldn't put her finger on it.

Desire, he was feeling it now; he was watching _her_. As he watched her he felt the whirlwind of feelings that he did not yet understand. It was unnatural, she was wrecking him, he turned away taking in a deep breath, placing his hand on one of the wooden supports in the tent for his own support, squeezing it until his palm hurt. There was an intense and vicious longing and, aching in the pit of his stomach and it was slowing rising into in his chest, it was painful. He took in another ragged breath, he had never felt this way about anyone before, he didn't know if he ever wanted to again, that is if this feeling ever stopped. Draco couldn't recall if ever in his life he had wanted anything as badly as he wanted this right now and, he had wanted a great number of things in his life. It was more than just lusting after someone, it was the desire and sweet wanting to know every single part of her, every thought, every need. It felt like he was burning every time that the thought that it could never be, crossed his mind. This was a very dangerous feeling, he felt that if he didn't give in to what he wanted he would go crazy.

He turned toward her again, he felt the walls he kept around himself being destroyed. A thought that was far to animalistic for his liking crossed his mind, she was prey, to be _taken_. He felt a sound that was ominously like a growl rise in his throat. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white under the pressure. She was sitting in the arm chair that was angled away from him reading, completely oblivious to his hurricane of emotions. He watched as her chest rose and fell ever so slightly as she breathed, her small hands as she flipped the pages of her book, her brown curls as they shifted, taking in all that he could of her. He listened as she huffed and then closed her book abruptly. Had he been caught? He receded so that he was out of her sight. She let the book fall to the floor beside the chair, he held his breath, she stood, her back still to him. The animal inside of him hissed in delight as he took in her hips, her waist and the feminine curve to her legs. He closed his eyes for a moment imagining things he knew he should not, their bodies entwining in sweet surrender perfectly matched. He felt the terrible desire grow when he looked at her form again.

She rose her arms above her head stretching, he watched as she lowered her right hand down, running it across her neck, then to her shoulder, she rubbed it letting out a small gasp of pain. His left hand flew to his chest, where his heart was beating a million miles an hour. It was possible, she could be his in every way. He chewed hard on his bottom lip, Hermione could be exactly what he was looking for. She dropped her arms to her sides sighing then without noticing him walked into the kitchen. It took him only a second to decided to fallow her. He walked soundlessly, and with purpose. He wanted her, and he was hoping that she wanted him as well, otherwise the flames in his torso would consume him. Hermione stood unsuspecting facing away from him, tipping a glass of water into her mouth eyes closed. He reached her just as she placed the glass onto the counter with a small clank.

He placed His left hand on her waist and his right on her hip pulling her until her back until she rested flush against him her head landing perfectly onto his left shoulder. She gasped in surprise but did not try to pull away. "Draco! What are you doing?" She asked him. He inhaled the intoxicating scent of her hair deeply. His mouth was right next to her ear. He let out his breath, and felt her quiver against him. He let the hand on her hip slide down slowly, softly. She shuddered against him once more. He moved his other hand up, enjoying as she reacted to his touch. "Draco?" she asked her voice softer than before. Her neck was exposed to him, he gazed at it hungrily her perfect skin just asking for his touch. He leaned down placing a soft moist kiss on the crook of her neck. Her knees buckled.

"Hermione." He replied his voice ragged. He herd Hermione inhale sharply in response to the tone of his voice. He kissed her neck again, lingering longer, sucking softly. He was pleased when Hermione let out a sound very similar to a moan. Draco trailed kisses up until he reached her jaw line where she stiffened slightly against him gasping in both surprise and pleasure, he brought his mouth close to her ear again. "I want you Hermione." he whispered his tone seductive. He smiled wickedly when her body quivered deliciously against him. He grasped her firmly on the hips and turned her around quickly to face him. Her chest rising and falling quickly, her eyes both willing and scared. He placed his right hand against her cheek pressing his body against hers he placed his other hand firmly against her waist once more. He made eye contact with her, locking her in with his passion. "What do you want Hermione?" he risked asking her. He felt the fire inside him rage.

Hermione didn't say anything for a moment, her brown eyes piercing him deeply. "This." She placed her small hands on his shoulders leaning into him. He felt a mixture of arousal and excitement when she touched her lips onto his. At first it was a tame kiss, their mouth's moved together, slowly. Draco let his eyes close fully, then the fire consumed him breaking his self control, he deepened the kiss, licking the top of her bottom lip demanding entrance one of his hands entwining in her hair. She moaned softly into his mouth as she let him in. He let his other hand slide down her body, on its way he grasped her by her hips releasing his other hand from her hair pulling her up, nearly throwing her onto the counter behind them. She landed with a hiss, as their lips parted for a moment. "This." she repeated. Draco took the few steps necessary to be against her again, her legs on ether side of him, their bodies meeting in all the right places.

"What is 'this'?" He asked her as he kissed his way down her jaw her arms grasping tightly onto his shoulders. Her head tipped back when he reached her neck. She was breathing heavily when he let his right hand wander down to her thigh that was grasping tightly around his hips, his grip was not light as his hand moved up and down her thigh, to any normal human it would be painful, but Hermione responded by pulling him closer to her, and letting out a sigh of ecstasy.

Her hands raked down his back, he responded to her roughness with a gentle bite to her neck. He felt her hands grasp the bottom of his shirt, he pulled away from her looking her hungrily in the eyes, reaching down and ripping off his shirt exposing his chiseled chest, and well sculpted abs, she smiled lustfully, doing the same, ripping off her well fit shirt, her simple black bra the first thing to catch his eye, then it was her curves, the true glory revealed unclothed. Hermione placed her hands on his shoulders pulling him toward her, her fingernails digging into his skin. "What do you think this is?" She asked in a voice that was not her normal one. He smiled at her eagerness, enjoying the feel of her bare skin against his, he knew it could only get better from here. Their lips met again, this time she maneuvered her tongue into his mouth he chucked softly, but allowed it, after a long while he pulled away snagging her bottom lip with his teeth, biting softly, then letting go after a second, his hands still roaming all over her body. "Draco..." She moaned.

Draco woke with a start in a sweat. That was the second time in five days that he had that same dream, he huffed in frustration, trying to think unpleasant thoughts to try and calm down. He was glad that he had managed to help Hermione, he was also glad that he was changing again, it made living with her easier, somewhat. Once standing he walked toward the kitchen. He stopped turning to his left, Hermione was not in her bed, that was peculiar. He ducked his head in the section of the tent where the bed was; she was no where to be seen. Draco walked quietly toward the tent entrance, she must have been outside. He stopped just short of stepping outside the tent then pulled the flaps aside. Hermione was standing in a ray of sunshine, bundled up in a blanket. The sky was shades of orange and yellow, and Draco noticed that she was barefoot. He watched her curiously, they were camping this time just yards from a cliff that overlooked the ocean. It was like Draco was looking at a painting, where Hermione was standing made it look like she was against the sky, her hair fanning perfectly over her shoulders, the way the sunlight was hitting her making her look angelic. He felt himself smile. The sun highlighted her hair and emphasized her facial features.

There was something odd that was happening, something he was trying very hard to ignore. Draco was indeed changing, but in doing so he had begun to see Hermione as more than a mubblood. She was definitely a person to him now, a woman to be more exact; that meant he was seeing her in a new light. This was troublesome, it meant he was noticing things about her he liked, and he was beginning to dwell on those things unlike before when he noticed then forgot about them. This was shown especially by "She looks beautiful." he whispered to himself. It took him a few seconds to realize what he said, before he widened his eyes in shock. Had he really said that? Thought that? He looked back at her. He must have been going crazy. That was the only way he could have ever, _ever_, think that. Wasn't it? Draco tore his eyes away from her. It must be because, had to be because he had just woken up from that largely inappropriate dream. "Temporary madness, its possible right?" Draco felt his face contort, his feelings were changing, that was the last thing he needed. Though it was probably because it was only the two of them, right? Something similar to Stockholm Syndrome...

"Draco?" came her voice. Great, now he was hearing her voice in his head. "Draco." This was bad. "Draco, what are you doing out here?" He felt warmth in the shape of a hand on his forearm. He looked down, Hermione's hand was resting there. "Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost." Her face contorted in humor. "Perhaps several."

Draco felt a surge or warmth, then his face felt hot. He pulled his arm away from Hermione, turning away from her. Was he really blushing now? 'Inappropriate dream.' he reminded himself. "What are you doing out here?" he asked desperate to take the subject off of himself. Her hand hovered in the air for a moment then she drew it back shoving it into the blanket she had around herself. She hesitated on talking and turned away from him.

"I keep having nightmares." she stated softly. Draco nodded his head, he expected that. "I just wish..." she stopped letting her head drop.

"Wish what?" Draco inquired.

Hermione didn't speak for a while Draco turned his eyes toward her. "I know its silly, stupid really." She began still looking away from him. "I just wish I could do something fun. You know?." She turned toward him timidly. "To take my mind off of things. Even if it was something small." Hermione swallowed waiting for Draco to reject her idea and call her silly.

Draco thought about that for a second. They were in the middle of a war, fun was very risky. He felt a pang of guilt remembering the blood as it dripped from Hermione's arms and onto his fingers. He had to help her, to make up for being selfish and not helping her sooner. He sighed softly then ran his hand through his untidy blond hair. "What did you have in mind?" He asked not sure he wanted to know the answer.

Surprised Hermione turned fully toward him. "What?"

Draco didn't like repeating himself. "What did you have in mind?" he asked for a second time.

A smirk spread across her lips. Draco didn't seem like someone to 'have fun', as much as she enjoyed his company, he was sure uptight. "Are you serious? We can go and have fun?" Hermione stated unbelieving.

Draco rolled his eyes at her. "Yes, that is what I am saying." her smile broadened.

"Really?" She wanted to make sure.

Draco sighed. "Yes really. Now spit it out, what do you want to go do?" Hermione smiled at him. It was several hours later when the sun was going down that they were standing in a field, and not too far from them was a muggle carnival. Draco looked uncertainly at the colorful scene. They were far from London and were in a muggle village. He doubted that there would be anyone who would recognize them here but still, he felt uneasy. The entire reason why they knew that the carnival was here was because they had passed by just days ago to steal some food and supplies. He took in a deep breath. "Are you sure about this?" Draco asked uneasily, they were risking a lot to be there.

Hermione nodded. "Its one of the only memories about my parents that I have. They used to take me to carnivals like this when I was young." She looked over at Draco who looked utterly mortified. She giggled, "Oh come on Draco, loosen up." Draco looked at her and attempted a smile.

"I know how to have fun." He tried to look mischievous.

Hermione raised and eyebrow at him. "That was pathetic." He scowled at her and she grabbed his hand and began to pull him in the direction of the carnival rides and booths. They stopped just short of the ticket booth. "We need to get passes." She said as they neared the back of the line.

Draco pulled his wand out of his pocket, he didn't think that there was any reason why they should pay, also he had no muggle money. He made sure no one was watching then waved his wand. "Accio passes." Two wrist bands floated lazily to his wand, and no one noticed. One of the wrist bands attached itself to Hermione's arm and then the other to his. Hermione smiled and began to walk off in the direction of a strange metallic contraption. He looked down, she hadn't let go of his hand yet. He looked at the back of her head curiously. He could have pulled his hand away; but for some reason he didn't want to 'Inappropriate dream.'. He stopped thinking about it and examined the contraption they were in line for. "What is _that_? And why are we in line for it?"

"Its a carnival ride, its called 'The Zipper', we sit in one of the cars and then it spins us, fast. We might even go upside down." She said happily.

"We _ride_ in it?" Draco was horrified. He watched the ride as it began to move; his horror was intensified. "Merlin, I'm going to die." Hermione laughed at him and dragged him forward as the line moved. He squeezed her hand as he herd the screams that came from the ride, the passengers sounded like they were being butchered. "Hermione, are you sure about this?"

"Of course I am." When the ride ended the dizzy people were let off car by car, and car by car they were loaded up, until it was Draco and Hermione's turn. Hermione let go of his hand and walked confidently to sit in the car. "Come on Draco." She beckoned.

Draco looked at her reluctantly but sat beside her anyway. The man operating the ride shut the door with a bang, a padded waist bar coming across them. Inside it was like a cage, the ride lurched forward and Draco and Hermione were suspended off the ground. Hermione looked purely excited, Draco looked back at her terrified. The ride began to move, Draco braced himself against the car, it began to move faster, and faster until it was spinning at full speed. Draco screamed as the car spun it went upside down several times. "I'm going to die!" he screamed, Hermione just laughed at him and gave whoots of joy. It was several spinning minutes before the ride lurched to a halt. Draco and Hermione's car was the first one to be emptied. Hermione laughed as the door opened and Draco had trouble standing.

"Was it really that bad?" Hermione questioned once they were away from the ride. She walked over to a park bench and sat down, taking in the rest of the carnival. Draco came and sat next to her still shaken from the ride.

"The things muggles come up with..." he sighed. "You enjoy this sort of thing?" He looked to her disbelieving that anyone could every enjoy that horrendous spinning.

She nodded and returned his perplexed look with a smile. "I guess it does take some getting used to. Maybe we should have gone on one less... spiny, since you've never been on a carnival ride."

"You think?" he couldn't help but smile back. As the night went on they avoided the first ride they went on and snuck cotton candy and various different foods that were there. Draco loosened up, but only slightly, always he was looking over his shoulder to make sure they were not being watched, it was a reasonable fear. Slowly the crowds began to decrease in size, they would have to leave soon.

"I want to ride that, before we go." Hermione stated pointing at the thing Draco had learned was a Ferris Wheel. He watched the big wheel, it was the slowest ride there. He would be okay with it, since he wouldn't have to worry about loosing the food that he had eaten just minutes prior. He nodded at her and they got in line. He watched above as the ride moved slowly, the cars were circular and looked like the could hold about five people, they had little doors that you could step through, and each of them was a different color. This ride looked tame enough. The wait was short before they were seated in a red car, it was cold so Hermione sat down right next to him. He didn't mind, he was beginning to get cold as well.

The wheel started to turn. "So, why did you do this?" Hermione asked leaning into him slightly.

"Do what?" He looked down at her.

"Take me to a carnival, have fun with me, help me?" she asked meeting his gaze. "I could have sworn just a little while ago you didn't like me at all." She chuckled, "I was sure you hated me."

Draco thought about that for a moment. "Well, from birth I have been taught to hate people like you, my family they view muggle-borns as well, a disgrace. I have been trying very hard, and believe me, seventeen years of conditioning is not easy to forget, to change. I don't want to be like my father anymore. As I've told you before he's a monster; you know just as well as I that he is." He answered her honestly looking down at his arm, he slid his sleeve up revealing the dark mark to her. "This used to represent who I was... I don't want to be that person anymore, and the more I think about it, the more I realize that I never really wanted to be like I was, I only wished what every child wishes, I wanted to make my parents proud." He slid his sleeve back down. "Sometimes disappointing your parents is the right thing..."

She took in his words looking away and shuddering as she remembered her experience with Draco's father, she had no idea that there was something that was viewed as wrong in the wizarding world applying to her. That made sense why he was bipolar on how he acted toward her. When he lifted up his sleeve she recognized the mark, he had shown it to her in a book, she nodded, she knew how he felt. "That still doesn't explain why you took me here today." She met his gaze once more.

"I guess.. you could call it an apology for not helping you sooner."

Hermione smiled at him. "I never held that against you to begin with, though, consider yourself forgiven."

"You should have." He answered.

"Thank you Draco." She readjusted so she was sitting up slightly straighter. "It means a lot to me." Hermione moved closer to him until her lips softly touched his cheek just short of the corner of his mouth. She pulled away and then looked away from Draco, her cheeks turning a wonderful shade of crimson.

He sat there shocked for a moment. It took him a second but, Draco smiled softly. He could have been an arse and asked her what she did that for he thought about it but, instead he let it be, they were acting differently toward each other, it was s little strange and it felt new to him, and he wasn't sure it was a good thing yet, but he didn't want to ruin the fun, he was paying Hermione back for being so selfish. Besides, he was a 'blood traitor' now hating Hermione would no longer get him anywhere. They had been with each other now for just over three months, it was about time he stopped listening to the monster inside of him. He looked over at her, she was smiling her cheeks red, 'From the cold probably' he thought. "Like I've told you before Hermione, anytime." They sat in silence for the rest of the ride, though it was not an uncomfortable one. When the ride was over everyone was let off car by car until it was their turn, they stepped off with their hands in their pockets and set off in the direction of the field.

There was a continued silence, neither of them minded. "Did we know each other at all? Before I lost my memory?" Hermione asked breaking the silence.

Draco tilted his head down. "Uhhm, yeah we did." He paused thinking about how to put it. "We didn't particularly like each other... I was a huge git to you."

Hermione nodded. "I had a feeling." She chuckled, "I sure hope things are different now."

Without missing a beat Draco replied. "Drastically, we hated each other, I can't say I feel anything close to that anymore." Hermione merely smiled at him, she was very happy that he didn't hate her anymore, living with him in a tent didn't seem so weird to her anymore. Hermione's foot snagged suddenly on a tree root, she was propelled forward by how quickly she was walking. Just as she was about face plant she felt a firm grasp on her wrist, and then she was being pulled back up, and before she knew it she was facing Draco, his arms around her.

"Whoops." she muttered, suddenly aware of how close they were. She felt her throat go dry, she had never been this close to Draco before. "Uhhm..." her face felt hot.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah..." she was suddenly breathless, and was very aware of his lips. "Thanks for saving me... again."

"Oh, yeah." he too realized how close they were. She bit her bottom lip, he inhaled deeply taking in her scent, still not letting her go. A thought that had been on his mind all day just so happened to cross his mind, 'Inappropriate dream'. He saw an opportunity, as soon as Hermione stopped biting her bottom lip he took it. He moved in, letting their noses bump softly, he herd Hermione inhale sharply, then he let their lips touch. And then, on pure impulse, he kissed her. It was better than his dream, her lips were soft and perfect, she was responding to him in perfect sync. He felt her arms wrap around his neck, her hands entwining in his hair. It was several minutes before he pulled away, though it only felt like seconds.

" Wow." Hermione began.

"Yeah." They flew apart from each other, looking separate directions. "We should get going." He saw out of the corner of his eye that she nodded. He offered her his arm and the disappear and landed in a Forrest. He kissed her, and it was great. He reached down into his bag retrieving the tent, and with a wave of his wand it was standing. Draco put up the protective spells, aided by the now spell savy Hermione. They walked in slowly not looking at each other, Hermione reached the area of the tent she slept in. She stopped still facing away from him, taking several deep breaths.

Hermione turned to him slowly. "Thank you, again, for tonight." She smiled softly and Draco noted her cheeks turned a shade reder than they were. Draco only nodded not sure if he could trust himself to say anything coherent. "Good night Draco."

He swallowed then smiled back at her. "Goodnight." he agreed.


End file.
